geocruiser Posted February 26, 2018 #1 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Great story. Cruises are not only for people. http://people.com/pets/escaped-pet-cockatoo-rescued-on-cruise-ship/ http://asia.etbtravelnews.global/342899/harri-the-sea-princess-stowaway-galah-home-again/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandrina Posted February 26, 2018 #2 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Thanks for sharing the story! Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
satxdiver Posted February 26, 2018 #3 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Great story! Commodore Romano was on the Ruby AK sailing last July. Because there were so few (53) elite aboard we were privileged to meet him. He was very cordial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare OzKiwiJJ Posted February 26, 2018 #4 Share Posted February 26, 2018 It was a great saga. It was all over the Aussie media the week it happened. The two ships kept in contact with each other about Harri and a bottle of wine was delivered to the family from Harri with a note saying "hope you're having as much fun on Pacific Aria as I'm having on Sea Princess". :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky TGO Posted February 26, 2018 #5 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Happy ending to a great story. :) Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthonyy7 Posted February 26, 2018 #6 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Harri definitely knew what ship she wanted to sail on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoyMouse Posted February 26, 2018 #7 Share Posted February 26, 2018 My parrot is getting ideas now! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeagleOne Posted February 26, 2018 #8 Share Posted February 26, 2018 It sounds like Harri knew her family weren't going to take her cruising so she decided to go on one herself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare OzKiwiJJ Posted February 26, 2018 #9 Share Posted February 26, 2018 She took a big risk doing an NZ cruise though. NZ biosecurity is very strict and the ship had to ensure she was confined at each port. If she hadn't been microchipped the outcome would not have been good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geocruiser Posted February 26, 2018 Author #10 Share Posted February 26, 2018 My parrot is getting ideas now! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk That is so funny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Traveller Posted February 26, 2018 #11 Share Posted February 26, 2018 The gist of the story is correct, but not the details. (Shock, horror that the media would get it wrong!) Harri the pink and grey galah had been missing for four weeks when it was found on the top deck of the Sea Princess after two days at sea. The bird was secured in an empty officer's cabin near the Bridge. I doubt that the crew of the ship had the equipment to check if the bird had a microchip. I think it was likely to have been done when we reached our first port, Dunedin. At Dunedin a junior officer boarded the ship carrying the cage that is shown in the photos. We saw him in the lift with an empty cage that was obviously new. When I asked about a bird, he replied that they were not allowed to talk about it. I asked if the captain had two birds - a feathered bird and his wife (colloquially called a 'bird') who was also on board. Captain Lye went on leave during the cruise and was replaced by Commodore Romano who told the story of the wandering galah when he presented a talk in the Princess Theatre. NZ authorities (quite rightly) allowed the bird to remain on board provided it was secured at all times and that one officer was responsible for it. The family were NOT on the Pacific Aria when they were advised of Harri's whereabouts - they were due to leave on their cruise two days later. It was a very short cruise whereas the Sea Princess NZ cruise was 14 nights. The whole episode was a great PR opportunity for the company.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geocruiser Posted February 26, 2018 Author #12 Share Posted February 26, 2018 The gist of the story is correct, but not the details. (Shock, horror that the media would get it wrong!) Harri the pink and grey galah had been missing for four weeks when it was found on the top deck of the Sea Princess after two days at sea. The bird was secured in an empty officer's cabin near the Bridge. I doubt that the crew of the ship had the equipment to check if the bird had a microchip. I think it was likely to have been done when we reached our first port, Dunedin. At Dunedin a junior officer boarded the ship carrying the cage that is shown in the photos. We saw him in the lift with an empty cage that was obviously new. When I asked about a bird, he replied that they were not allowed to talk about it. I asked if the captain had two birds - a feathered bird and his wife (colloquially called a 'bird') who was also on board. Captain Lye went on leave during the cruise and was replaced by Commodore Romano who told the story of the wandering galah when he presented a talk in the Princess Theatre. NZ authorities (quite rightly) allowed the bird to remain on board provided it was secured at all times and that one officer was responsible for it. The family were NOT on the Pacific Aria when they were advised of Harri's whereabouts - they were due to leave on their cruise two days later. It was a very short cruise whereas the Sea Princess NZ cruise was 14 nights. The whole episode was a great PR opportunity for the company.:D Very interesting. Where did you info come from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
namowal Posted February 27, 2018 #13 Share Posted February 27, 2018 My parrot is getting ideas now! I have a cockatiel (small cockatoo) and we often joke about how ill-suited he'd be for cruise life: Squawking, stomping through buffet trays, getting into squabbles with people as to whether or not their things, in fact, belonged to him, etc. No way he'd last 14 days. His relative overseas must have better manners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funkat Posted February 27, 2018 #14 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Awesome story - no matter which version is true. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoyMouse Posted February 28, 2018 #15 Share Posted February 28, 2018 I have a cockatiel (small cockatoo) and we often joke about how ill-suited he'd be for cruise life: Squawking, stomping through buffet trays, getting into squabbles with people as to whether or not their things, in fact, belonged to him, etc. No way he'd last 14 days. His relative overseas must have better manners. I had to send your post to my mom and sister. That is so funny! I had a cockatiel that passed away at the ripe old age of 20. I can just picture him squabbling with people if they tried to take something away from him and trying to whistle like the ship’s bells. The brown headed parrot would just try to bite the cabin attendant if they came near her with a cleaning cloth. She’s small but packs a powerful punch. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Traveller Posted February 28, 2018 #16 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Very interesting. Where did you info come from? I was on that cruise. I mentioned what I saw and also details that Commodore Romano mentioned during his talk in the Princess Theatre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geocruiser Posted February 28, 2018 Author #17 Share Posted February 28, 2018 I was on that cruise. I mentioned what I saw and also details that Commodore Romano mentioned during his talk in the Princess Theatre. It sounded like a great cruise. Were the ports good? How was the food? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare grouchomarx Posted February 28, 2018 #18 Share Posted February 28, 2018 When I read the title of this thread, I immediately assumed someone had taken their emotional support cockatoo on a cruise! Very funny story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Traveller Posted February 28, 2018 #19 Share Posted February 28, 2018 It sounded like a great cruise. Were the ports good? How was the food? After leaving Sydney we sailed into the fiords on the SW coast of the South Island - Milford (absolutely spectacular), then Thompson, Dusky and Doubtful Sounds (lovely). The ports were Dunedin (interesting), Akaroa (where the ships anchor in a volcanic caldera), Wellington (lots to see), Napier (1930s art deco town), Tauranga (used as a base to visit Rotorua or the Lord of the Rings film set) and Auckland (lovely). The food was good as it usually is on Princess. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare OzKiwiJJ Posted February 28, 2018 #20 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Galahs are considered the clowns of the cockatoo world, and in Aussie slang if you refer to someone as Galah, you're essentially saying that person is a fool, clown or idiot. They are rather gorgeous though. Sometimes you can see a flock of them in bushland parks and reserves around Sydney. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geocruiser Posted March 1, 2018 Author #21 Share Posted March 1, 2018 After leaving Sydney we sailed into the fiords on the SW coast of the South Island - Milford (absolutely spectacular), then Thompson, Dusky and Doubtful Sounds (lovely). The ports were Dunedin (interesting), Akaroa (where the ships anchor in a volcanic caldera), Wellington (lots to see), Napier (1930s art deco town), Tauranga (used as a base to visit Rotorua or the Lord of the Rings film set) and Auckland (lovely). The food was good as it usually is on Princess. :D WOW! what a cruise. I would love to do that some day. Thanks for the info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted March 1, 2018 #22 Share Posted March 1, 2018 I suspect that one day we will see a passenger walking around with an "emotional support" Cockatoo in a baby carriage......on a cruise. Hank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
namowal Posted March 1, 2018 #23 Share Posted March 1, 2018 I had to send your post to my mom and sister. That is so funny! I had a cockatiel that passed away at the ripe old age of 20. I can just picture him squabbling with people if they tried to take something away from him and trying to whistle like the ship’s bells. Yep. The first cockatiel who stows away on a cruise ship will also be the last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now