A vacationing American discovered the hard way that not all tropical prints are created equal when his seemingly harmless shirt turned a romantic getaway into a comedy of errors.
Ricky Bobby, a TikTok user, recently shared footage of an uncomfortable situation that unfolded during what should have been a peaceful cruise with his fiancée—all stemming from one unfortunate wardrobe choice.
Thinking he’d embrace the island aesthetic, Ricky donned a pineapple-patterned shirt while aboard the vessel, fully expecting to channel laid-back vacation energy. Instead, he found himself fielding unwanted advances, flirtatious remarks, and even unsolicited physical contact from other passengers throughout the journey.
The couple initially couldn’t make sense of the heightened interest they were receiving. “They would walk by sometimes staring at us. Even sometimes flirt with us. They would whisper things under their breath,” his fiancée explained in the post’s caption.
The situation intensified from there. While relaxing poolside, Ricky was repeatedly approached with suggestive propositions—all while wearing what he believed was just another casual tropical shirt. The truth behind the chaos only revealed itself later in what became a viral revelation: those innocent-looking pineapples carried hidden meaning.
What the couple didn’t realize was that pineapple imagery—particularly when displayed upside-down—serves as a recognized code within specific communities, especially among cruise passengers, signaling an openness to swinging or partner-swapping arrangements. Though Ricky’s shirt featured right-side-up pineapples, that distinction apparently went unnoticed by the more adventurous travelers onboard.
Once they pieced together what was happening, Ricky realized he’d unintentionally been broadcasting availability to the entire ship. “I was fuming,” he admits in the footage, while his fiancée struggles to suppress her amusement.
The video exploded online, accumulating close to 19 million views and sparking countless responses. Several viewers recounted their own experiences, including one couple who wore coordinating pineapple outfits and couldn’t understand why passengers seemed unusually sociable. Another traveler remembered, “The rest of the cruise I was called ‘Mr. Pineapple Shirt.’ I had no idea. I threw the shirt in the trash.”
@prericky We didnt know what the shirt meant.. #carnivalcruise #jokes #carnival #pineapplecruise i found her tiktok @kai_b98 ♬ TRIPPIN – Sturdyyoungin & Ohthatsmizz & ZEDDY WILL
Some commenters expressed disbelief that Ricky was unfamiliar with the symbol’s significance. “How do you take a pineapple shirt on a cruise and not know?” someone questioned.
The phenomenon has grown so prevalent that certain cruise operators have taken action, according to Travel Pulse. Carnival Cruise Line recently revised its guidelines to forbid upside-down pineapple decorations following passenger complaints about misunderstandings, practical jokes, and uncomfortable encounters.
John Heald, Carnival’s brand ambassador, validated the new policy after a guest jokingly mentioned using pineapples as a social icebreaker, Cruise Mummy reports. “Those are definitely no longer allowed on the ships,” he stated. The cruise line subsequently modified its official website to clarify that all door decorations must support its “family-friendly atmosphere” while avoiding “nudity, profanity, or innuendo.”
For Ricky, the experience delivered one crystal-clear takeaway about vacation attire: sometimes, fruit motifs communicate far more than you’d ever imagine.
