A California family has sued Royal Caribbean, alleging their 35-year-old relative was served at least 33 alcoholic drinks on a cruise before he died.
The lawsuit, filed in Miami, says Michael Virgil of Moreno Valley boarded the Navigator of the Seas in Los Angeles on Dec. 13, 2024, with his fiancée, Connie Aguilar, and their young son. According to the complaint, ship staff “negligently” continued to serve Virgil alcohol over the course of a few hours despite obvious signs of intoxication.
The suit says that while intoxicated Virgil became lost and agitated while trying to find his cabin. Security personnel allegedly confronted him, tackled him and subdued him “with their full body weight.” The complaint further alleges that, at the captain’s direction, crew members injected Virgil with haloperidol, a prescription antipsychotic, and used multiple cans of pepper spray on him. The family says he ultimately died while under the care of Royal Caribbean staff.
Attorneys for Aguilar note the cruise line has the right to refuse service to visibly intoxicated passengers and contend Royal Caribbean failed to exercise that right. The complaint points to the cruise line’s marketing of unlimited drink packages and says bars were widely available throughout the ship, arguments the family says help explain how Virgil could be overserved.
In addition to negligent overservice, the lawsuit brings claims of negligent hiring and training, including allegations that medical and security personnel were not properly trained and that those failures contributed to the death.
A Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson said the company was saddened by the guest’s passing, worked with authorities during their investigation and would refrain from additional comment because the matter is pending in litigation.
The case is the latest lawsuit alleging alcohol-related negligence on Royal Caribbean vessels. In a separate suit, the family of 66-year-old Dulcie White says she went overboard during a Taylor Swift–themed cruise on Oct. 22, 2024, after crew members continued to serve her alcohol despite signs of extreme intoxication. That complaint also referenced the line’s unlimited beverage packages; White’s daughter, Megan Klewin, said her mother “was completely intoxicated in a way I haven’t seen before.”
Both suits underscore questions about cruise line alcohol policies and shipboard training and oversight, issues the families say should be addressed as the litigation proceeds.