Three surprising stowaways were discovered onboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas – and they are simply too adorable for cruise guests to not give a hoot!
The unexpected guests are not of the human variety, but rather are a pair of burrowing owls and one tiny warbler that landed onboard the Oasis-class ship before she set sail on her current cruise – which is a 12-night voyage from Miami, Florida, to Barcelona, Spain.
Per the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology institute, burrowing owls are monogamous and usually mate for life – which means the feathery passengers are likely a couple.
Current passengers have been keeping the cruise community updated: “We have two burrowing owls and a tiny warbler that stowed away in Central Park to make the crossing. Unfortunately, the owls have drawn so much attention that they now need to be caught and won’t be allowed into Spain until quarantined and then… Deported?”
For context, Central Park refers to an onboard “neighborhood” that features a garden, shops, restaurants, and bars.
“The tiny bird is hard to find so I don’t even know if the ship is aware of it. One of the owls has also explored the Solarium and miniature golf course. It’s been exciting,” the guest continued.
The Transatlantic crossing officially embarked on February 10, 2025, with the birds most likely joining the ship while she was docked in PortMiami.
The 5,484-guest ship will call on Cartagena and Palma De Mallorca in Spain before her passengers disembark (with quite the story to tell) in Barcelona on February 22, 2025.
Interestingly, this also isn’t the first time an owl has tried to call a Royal Caribbean ship home.
In January of 2023, a burrowing owl was found onboard Symphony of the Seas during a two-week sailing that was also based out of Miami.
Once the animal was spotted, crew members made sure it stayed healthy until the cruise concluded – at which point, the unharmed owl was handed over to the South Florida Wildlife Center.
What Will Happen to the Avian Visitors?
As was the case the last time an owl stowed away on a Royal Caribbean ship, the crew members have been consulting with wildlife experts to tend to the birds and eventually return them to their normal habitat.
So far, one of the owls has been safely captured and is being cared for by crew members. According to some reports, they have even been enjoying steak cooked just for them.
The other owl was briefly contained, but has since escaped again as of the most recent update.
“The 2 owls have been collected (EDIT: as of this afternoon, one of the 2 captured escaped and flew back to [Central Park] and is still evading staff) and placed in temporary cages/ boxes,” a current passenger shared.
“It was stressful for them and less safe to be in Central Park as much as we enjoyed looking at them.They are now being fed and watered and cared for according to the animal expert’s guidelines,” they continued.
Cruise Hive Discussion Boards: Swarming Birds on Cruises
Both birds will need to be captured by February 20, 2025, as the current plan is to remove the animals when the 225,282-gross ton vessel docks in Cartagena that morning – which is the first of the two port calls on the itinerary.
“They will be offloaded in Cartagena where management and the local authorities will process the paperwork,” the same guest shared, citing an announcement from the captain as their source.
“They will then be flown back to Miami where they can safely be released in their native habitat,” they continued, confirming a happy ending for the owls.
No plan has been announced regarding the warbler, but Royal Caribbean will certainly act in the small songbird’s best interest if it is still onboard.
