An American man has gone viral after accidentally sending the wrong message to fellow passengers during a romantic cruise with his fiancée, all because of his shirt.
TikToker Ricky Bobby shared a now-viral video documenting the bizarre and awkward experience, which started when he wore a pineapple-print shirt onboard, expecting nothing more than tropical vibes. But to his surprise, the shirt triggered a wave of flirtation, suggestive comments, and even a few inappropriate touches from strangers on the ship.
At first, Ricky and his fiancée were confused by the sudden attention. “They would walk by sometimes staring at us. Even sometimes flirt with us. They would whisper things under their breath,” his fiancée wrote in the caption.
Things escalated quickly. Ricky, lounging by the pool, was approached, touched, and propositioned, all while wearing what he thought was an innocent Hawaiian-style shirt. It wasn’t until later that the couple discovered the real issue in a now-viral moment: the pineapples.
Unbeknownst to them, pineapples, especially upside-down ones,= are a well-known signal in certain circles, particularly on cruise ships, indicating someone is open to swinging or partner swapping. While Ricky’s shirt didn’t feature the pineapples upside down, that subtlety didn’t seem to matter to the more adventurous crowd onboard.
By the time they figured it out, Ricky had essentially turned himself into a walking invitation. “I was fuming,” he says in the video, while his fiancée tries to contain her laughter.
The TikTok clip racked up nearly 19 million views, with thousands of commenters chiming in. Some shared similar stories, like the couple who wore matching pineapple shirts and were baffled by how “friendly” everyone was. One man recalled, “The rest of the cruise I was called ‘Mr. Pineapple Shirt.’ I had no idea. I threw the shirt in the trash.”
Others were shocked Ricky hadn’t heard of the symbol. “How do you take a pineapple shirt on a cruise and not know?” one commenter wrote.
The trend has become so widespread that some cruise lines have started banning the imagery altogether, per Travel Pulse. Carnival Cruise Line recently updated its policies to prohibit upside-down pineapple decorations after complaints about confusion, pranks, and unwanted attention.
Carnival’s brand ambassador, John Heald, confirmed the ban after a guest joked about using pineapples to meet people, according to Cruise Mummy. “Those are definitely no longer allowed on the ships,” he said. The company later updated its website to say that all door decorations must align with its “family-friendly atmosphere” and steer clear of “nudity, profanity, or innuendo.”
As for Ricky, he’s learned a very specific lesson about vacation fashion: sometimes, a fruit print says more than you think.
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