Two furry stowaways made a remarkable journey aboard Allure of the Seas during its recent repositioning voyage, causing quite the stir among passengers.
Guests currently sailing on Allure of the Seas reported that a pair of burrowing owls made themselves at home in the ship’s Central Park neighborhood. The open-aired space became an unlikely sanctuary for the two stowaway owls during the Oasis class ship’s transatlantic voyage from Florida to Spain.
Allure of the Seas is currently sailing a 12-night itinerary from Miami, Florida to Barcelona, Spain. The ship departed from Florida on February 10, 2025 for the ocean crossing. It is assumed the owls made their way onto the ship at this time, likely while the ship was docked in Florida.
After departing from Miami, Allure of the Seas spent ten days crossing the Atlantic with the owls in tow. The ship is scheduled to arrive in Cartagena, Spain on February 20, 2025 for its first port of call. The sailing will conclude in Barcelona, Spain a couple days later on on February 22, 2025.
Following the transatlantic voyage, Allure of the Seas will begin her extensive renovation over the next two months. The vessel will undergo a $100 million amplification before resuming sailings for the summer in Europe. The ship will be in Spain throughout the spring and is scheduled to depart on her next itinerary on April 11, 2025.
Guests shared the stowaways on social media
(Owl on Allure of the Seas, shared on Reddit)
Multiple posts online have chronicled the adventures of the two owls on Allure of the Seas, much to the delight of online followers. Many guests shared photos and stories of the burrowing owls on the ship, including updates on the situation for the owl’s safe handling.
One user on Reddit shared, “My parents are currently cruising on Allure [of the Seas] on the transoceanic voyage. Two burrowing owls have stowed away on the cruise to Spain and have caused quite a ruckus.”
The poster shared, “Unfortunately, the owls have drawn so much attention that they now need to be caught and won't be allowed into Spain until [they're] quarantined and then... Deported?”
According to the user, the two owls made themselves at home in Central Park among the many real-life trees in the neighborhood. However, the owls were apparently exploring other spaces onboard the ship too.
(Owl on Allure of the Seas, shared on Reddit)
“One of the owls has also explored the Solarium and miniature golf course. It's been exciting!” explained the user.
Another cruiser shared on Reddit about the burrowing owls, “[These fellas] got quite the fanbase on Allure [of the Seas] at the moment. Folks taking pictures while staying at as much of a distance as one can in Central Park. It definitely doesn’t seem to mind the masses of people around.”
The user shared additional updates regarding the owls’ journey across the Atlantic
(Owl on Allure of the Seas, shared on Reddit)
Many online commenters were invested in the owl stowaways and enjoyed the updates from those aboard. The two threads on Reddit received nearly 100 comments and 1,000 upvotes! In one of the threads, the Redditor continuously shared updates on the burrowing owls’ adventures.
“As of midday today, the famed owl of Central Park has been captured and is being fed steak and water. The exact plan is to be determined at the discretion of Spain. Burrowing owls are endangered, which will likely guide his safe future,” they shared.
“This photo was just provided by the hotel director at the coffee chat just now, with the request to forward this message,” reads the image on Reddit.
(Photo shared on Reddit, showing owl in temporary cage on Allure of the Seas)
Indeed, burrowing owls are considered an endangered and threatened species in North America. According to the Burrowing Owl Conservation Network, burrowing owls are considered endangered in Canada and threatened in Mexico. The owls are classified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as birds of conservation concern at a national level. In the state of Florida specifically, burrowing owls are considered a threatened species.
Cruiser says wildlife specialists helped determine what to do with the stowaways
(Owl seen onboard Symphony of the Seas in March 2023. Shared on Reddit)
In the most recent update regarding the owls, the user shared that Royal Caribbean reportedly consulted with an owl specialist about carefully and safely handling the owls.
The Redditor shared the following update from a guest onboard Allure of the Seas. "After consultations with an owl specialist, a game plan has been crafted. The 2 owls have been collected. As of this afternoon, one of the 2 captured ones escaped and flew back to [Central Park] and is still evading staff.”
The other captured owl was placed in temporary cages/boxes for its safety. “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 experts’ guidelines,” shared the passenger.
(Photo shared on Reddit from Oasis of the Seas in February 2022)
In addition, the burrowing owls will apparently be offloaded in Spain to be handled by local authorities. Because burrowing owls are not native to Europe, the birds would not be safely relocated in this region of the world.
The passenger shared, “[The owls] will be offloaded in Cartagena where management and the local authorities will process the paperwork. They will then be flown back to Miami where they can safely be released in their native habitat. Owls well that ends well.”
In a recent update on Reddit, another passenger on the ship reported one of the owls is still lingering in Central Park and continues to evade the crew members trying to safely capture the owl.
(Owl on Allure of the Seas, shared on Reddit)
“Your update of this moment is that a crew member with a net is standing very patiently in Central Park hoping the park owl will come into reach. The owl, currently located about 10 feet from my balcony, is not having it.”
This isn’t the first time that owls have found solace in Central Park on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class ships
(Crew members working to capture owl on Symphony of the Seas in March 2023, shared on Facebook by Florida Fish and Wildlife)
Surprisingly, this wasn’t the first time an owl has made its way onto an Oasis-class ship to cruise. Several passengers shared similar encounters online, suggesting that Allure of the Seas isn’t the only vessel to have hosted a feathered stowaway.
Because Central Park is an open-aired neighborhood on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class ships, the foliage naturally attracts wildlife. While a cruise ship may seem like an unusual home for an owl, the burrowing owl species typically prefers open, sparsely vegetated areas - a stark contrast to the middle of the ocean!
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “Burrowing owls are small, unusual owls that nest in underground burrows instead of trees. They live in wide-open, sparsely vegetated areas like prairies, deserts, grasslands and agricultural fields.”
(Owly pictured on Oasis of the Seas. Shared on Reddit)
Despite their preference for dry land, these owls have occasionally taken a liking to Royal Caribbean’s ships. One user shared, “We had an owl stowaway on our Oasis cruise back in 2022. Here he is hanging out on a light in Central Park. The crew apparently looked after him. They called him Owly and made sure he had food.”
“He was just traveling the Caribbean so never really attracted that level of attention, but had apparently been on the ship for some time by our cruise. Looks like he could be the same breed at that. Wonder if something about Central Park attracts them?” continued the commenter.
(Owl safely captured by biologist on Symphony of the Seas, shared on Facebook by Florida Fish and Wildlife)
Several other cruisers shared their owl encounters aboard Symphony of the Seas, including sightings from sailings in September 2021 and January 2023. One passenger recalled, “We had an owl on Symphony too! I’m sure it’s a great life for the owls. He did throw up on a lady as she walked underneath him, which led to a lot of shrieking, but it was still cool to see him.”
In March 2023, Royal Caribbean sought assistance from local wildlife authorities to safely remove an owl that had taken up residence in Symphony of the Seas’ Central Park. According to Florida Fish and Wildlife, Royal Caribbean brought a biologist onboard in Florida on disembarkation day to safely capture the owl with the help of crew members.
(Owl in Central Park on Symphony of the Seas, shared on Facebook by Florida Fish and Wildlife)
The Florida Fish and Wildlife posted on Facebook, "With some of the crew’s help, [the biologist] placed mist nets around the owl’s perch of choice, the exit signs by the door. Two unsuccessful attempts later, the owl was now sitting on the balcony of a 10th story cabin."
"The crew stood below making noise to distract the owl as [our biologist] snuck up and safely netted the owl from the railing! After the amazing rescue, the cute little stowaway was safely assisted with the disembarkation process. He had nothing to claim in customs. Although seemingly in good health even after two weeks at sea, the bird was transported to South Florida Wildlife Center as a precautionary measure," continued the post.
