A cat that was smuggled onto a Royal Caribbean cruise ship has been given a happy new home on the other side of the world.

According to a Facebook post by Michael Bayley, the CEO and President of the company, the cat was smuggled onto Ovation of the Seas by a guest.
It’s believed that the cat was hidden inside a guest’s sweatshirt and that it may have been sedated to help hide it from the security staff.
It isn’t clear whether this was the guest’s pet or not, or where the cat was from. But once the cat was discovered, it was not able to be taken back ashore as authorities in Australia and New Zealand wouldn’t allow it.
The cat would normally be euthanized in these scenarios, once seized by the port authorities. But the Royal Caribbean crew didn’t want that to happen.
While there was no way for the guest to keep the cat, the crew were able to bring the cat safely to Miami and rehome it with a member of the guest service team.
Pet owners should never try to smuggle their pets onboard since they will essentially have to give them up and in most cases, the animal will be killed. Thankfully on this occasion, the cat was able to be saved.
And the cat has a new name – Ovie, following her Ovation of the Seas adventure.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
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