News
Published
Dec. 27, 2023, 1:57 a.m. ET
Maybe the cat needed a trip, too
A pet cat named Ovie was found aboard a Royal Caribbean International ship referred to as Ovation of the Seas earlier this month and will have been euthanized if not for the diligent crew.
Royal Caribbean Cruises president and CEO Michael Bayley put out a press release on Dec. 22 saying they “believe” a visitor smuggled the small feline onto the cruise.
“Meet Ovie ! The cat smuggled onboard Ovation of the Seas by a guest ! We believe that it was in the guest’s sweatshirt and we assume he must have been sedated or something and he wouldn’t beep, since Ovie isn’t metal,” Bayley introduced on Facebook.
Bayley added the cat “was not allowed off the ship” when discovered throughout a routine inspection by Royal Caribbean International officers amid the ship’s almost three-week voyage from Hawaii to Sydney, and that it “was supposed to be euthanized !”
Biosecurity brokers from New Zealand discovered Ovie in one of many visitor’s cabins however Royal Caribbean International declined to determine the identify of the traveler.
Inspections are obligatory for cruise traces that enter overseas nations to ensure such contraband like vegetation, fruits, animals, and different hazards will not be uncovered.
Biosecurity brokers had been tasked with investigating how the cat managed to get on the boat, in addition to ensuring the cat was quarantined and freed from any potential ailments, TravelPulse reported.
Unless a pet is an “emotional support animal or service dog,” no pets are allowed on board any Royal Caribbean Cruises, in keeping with the corporate’s coverage.
According to Bayley, Royal Caribbean International safely transported the small feline again to the US after being quarantined and Ovie is now residing with a brand new household in Miami after being adopted by a crew member.
“Our Guest service team stepped up to the plate and after several weeks and much back and forth safely brought Ovie halfway around the world to be adopted by one of the guest service team members in Miami. Ovie is now happily living in Miami,” Bayley mentioned.
Royal Caribbean Cruises has but to verify how the cat was in a position to get previous cruise safety earlier than ultimately making it onto the boat.
