Pet cat smuggled aboard Royal Caribbean cruise ship was going to be euthanized but crew spent weeks trying to save it

Maybe the cat wanted a vacation too

A cat named Ovie was discovered aboard a Royal Caribbean International ship called Ovation of the Seas earlier this month and could have been euthanized if not for the diligent crew.

Royal Caribbean Cruises president and CEO Michael Bayley released a statement on Dec. 22 saying they “believe” a guest smuggled the small feline onto the cruise.

“Meet Ovie! The cat smuggled aboard Ovation of the Seas by a guest! We believe it was in the guest’s sweatshirt and assume it must have been sedated or something and not beeping, since Ovie is not metal” . Bayley announced on Facebook.

Bayley added that the cat “was not allowed to leave the ship” when it was found during a routine inspection by Royal Caribbean International officials on the ship’s nearly three-week voyage from Hawaii to Sydney, and that ” he was supposed to be euthanized!”

Biosecurity agents from New Zealand found Ovie in one of the guest cabins, but Royal Caribbean International declined to identify the traveler by name.

Inspections are mandatory for cruise lines entering foreign countries to ensure that such contraband as plants, fruits, animals and other hazards are not exposed.

Biosecurity agents were tasked with investigating how the cat managed to get on the boat, as well as making sure the cat was quarantined and free of any potential disease, TravelPulse said.

Unless a pet is an “emotional support animal or service dog,” pets are not permitted aboard Royal Caribbean Cruises, according to company policy.

According to Bayley, Royal Caribbean International safely transported the little feline to the United States after being quarantined and Ovie is now living with a new family in Miami after being adopted by a crew member.

“Our guest services team stepped up to the plate and after several weeks and a lot of back and forth safely brought Ovie halfway around the world to be adopted by one of the team members at guest service in Miami. Ovie is now happy living in Miami,” Bayley said.

Royal Caribbean Cruises has yet to confirm how the cat managed to get past cruise security before eventually reaching the boat.