Ship Crew Saves Life of Cat Smuggled Aboard Cruise

For one cat named Ovie, a relaxing cruise turned into a near-death experience. The longhaired domestic cat was smuggled aboard a three-week international cruise ship by a guest. However, when he was discovered by authorities in New Zealand, it appeared that Ovie was to be euthanized. Fortunately, the ship’s crew stepped in to save the feline. 

Ovie is an adorable long-haired, green-eyed cat. It is believed that he is originally from Arizona and that a guest on a Royal Caribbean cruise from Hawaii to Australia smuggled the cat aboard in their sweatshirt. According to a Facebook post from Royal Caribbean’s CEO, “he must have been sedated or something and he wouldn’t beep, since Ovie isn’t metal”. 

This posed a problem since Royal Caribbean only allows service and emotional Support animals to board ships after a quarantine period. Australia and New Zealand, where the cat was discovered, both have strict policies against bringing in animals who have not undergone quarantine. This is to prevent pests and diseases from spreading to the island countries.

Ovie was discovered by authorities during a routine investigation of the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas. Once found, the cat was not allowed off of the ship. Legally, the cat could not be brought into the country. Ovie was “supposed to be euthanized” after his discovery. 

To prevent this, the ship’s crew banded together and worked to ensure that Ovie would be protected from that fate. The feline was “bonded” to the ship’s captain. This means that he was responsible for keeping the cat in a secure location aboard the ship. For several weeks, the crew worked together to care for Ovie until he could be transported to a quarantine facility. Once he met quarantine requirements, Ovie was flown back to the United States. One crew member even loved Ovie so much that they gave the cat a new home! Now the stowaway cat resides in Miami with his new family. 

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