A high-profile incident last year aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship involving a cruise ship passenger who was detained and later died has resulted in a new lawsuit from the family.
The guest, who was identified as Michael Virgil, 35, was detained after assaulting crew members and threatening other cruisers in a drunken rage.
Virgil's fiancée, Connie Aguilar, is suing the cruise line for their part in his untimely death. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, crew members served Virgil "at least 33 alcoholic beverages" before his behavior escalated.
Aguilar claims that they boarded the ship with their 7-year-old son and were directed to wait at one of the bars since their stateroom wasn't ready.
Their son, who has autism, grew impatient, so Aguilar left to take him on a walk and check on their stateroom, leaving Virgil alone at the bar. The court documents add that he was served dozens of drinks before he ventured off to find their cabin.
The incident happened aboard Navigator of the Seas in December 2024 on a cruise out of Los Angeles (San Pedro), California, to Ensenada, Mexico.
A bystander, Christifer Mikhail, recounted that he encountered the now-deceased passenger less than an hour after sailing away during what was supposed to be a quick stop to his cabin to grab his phone charger and a sweater.
Virgil was making a scene, trying to kick down one of the stateroom doors, punching crew members, and spewing profanity and racial comments.
"I was waiting for them to say cut and come out of the rooms," he said, "I was kinda scared [because] I was like, 'Dude, I'm stuck in this hallway [and] everyone else is kind of behind something.'"
The ship's security team then intervened and assisted in restraining Virgil, who fell victim to "the excessive force and fatal actions taken by crew members including security and medical personnel."
After being detained using towels, zip ties, and handcuffs, he was injected with Haloperidol, a sedative that can have severe side effects when combined with heavy alcohol consumption, in an attempt to calm him down. Unfortunately, he passed away within the hour.
Moreover, the court filings assert that the crew caused "significant hypoxia and impaired ventilation, respiratory failure, cardiovascular instability and ultimately cardiopulmonary arrest, leading to his death..."
The news aligns with what Virgil's family initially claimed last year, stating that his death was wrongfully caused by the cruise line.
Aguilar's lawsuit seeks damages for the loss of support, inheritance, past and future earnings, funeral and medical expenses, mental pain and suffering, and more.
His death is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
The FBI is typically called to investigate deaths involving U.S. citizens on the high seas. However, cruise criminal jurisdiction is complicated since ships are registered in foreign countries, with most crimes occurring in international waters.
The location of the vessel, the nationality of the suspect or victim, the ownership of the vessel, the points of embarkation and debarkation, and the country where the vessel is registered all determine the FBI’s role and ability to investigate.
As part of the cruise line's security guidelines, Royal Caribbean reports all allegations of crime to the FBI and United States Coast Guard (USCG).
Another family blamed Royal Caribbean for the death of their loved one, claiming that crew members served her too many drinks
In October 2024, a cruise ship passenger was reported overboard during Allure of the Seas' Taylor Swift-themed cruise. At the time, the vessel was roughly 17 miles north of Nassau.
The guest was later identified as Dulcie White, 66, with authorities confirming that she didn't fall off the ship: she jumped.
Despite extensive search efforts, White's body was never recovered.
According to her daughter, Megan Klewin, White had Royal's unlimited drink package, and the family alleges that crew members overserved her. The lawsuit filed in Miami-Dade County states that she was served seven drinks in just over six hours.
"Because of that [drink package, my mom] did overdo it, trying to maybe get her money's worth," Klewin told CBS News.
"She was completely intoxicated in a way I haven't seen before. It saddens me that that is my last memory of her."
The lawsuit continues, claiming that crew members ignored obvious signs of intoxication, including slurred speech, stammering, and difficulty standing up. Additionally, another passenger noticed White's dangerous behavior and assisted her safely to her stateroom.
Klewin saw her mother go onto the balcony on Deck 14, then looked away for a moment. The next time she saw her mother, White was "[sitting] on the edge of the balcony like she had climbed up" and fell into the ocean before Klewin could react.
