More Than 100 Men Join Surprise Shirt Prank on Star of the Seas
Many participants first realized the joke upon reaching The Pearl on the Royal Promenade, after relatives persuaded them to wear the shirts without explanation.
More than 100 men gathered in identical red Hawaiian-style shirts aboard Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas earlier in 2026 after their partners and relatives secretly coordinated the outfits. Many discovered the prank as they arrived at The Pearl on the ship’s Royal Promenade.
A similar effort on a Disney cruise in July 2025 brought together more than 60 men wearing matching Hawaiian-style Disney shirts, also arranged by fellow passengers before departure.
The trick is organized through sailing-specific social media groups, where partners and relatives agree on a shirt and choose when it should be worn. Each then persuades the man travelling with them to put it on without explaining why, so the plan stays hidden until the participants encounter one another onboard.
Images of the Star of the Seas gathering were credited to Katelyn Gensler on Facebook. Royal Caribbean did not offer an official comment.
Cruise passengers organize other informal activities too. Guests hide rubber ducks with tags inviting finders to keep or relocate them, while cabin-door displays celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and other occasions. Door decorations are subject to individual cruise-line policies, and some operators restrict them over safety and suitability concerns.
Other Disney passengers have continued to share versions of the shirt prank. A March 2026 sailing on Disney Wish included a coordinated Hawaiian-shirt gathering, and cruisers have described earlier examples aboard Disney Wonder and Disney Magic.
See current Star of the Seas fares and itineraries on Cruise Lookup.
