Royal Caribbean sued after man’s death ruled homicide on cruise ship
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The family of a 35-year-old man who died after allegedly being served 33 alcoholic drinks on a Royal Caribbean ship has filed a lawsuit seven months after an autopsy ruled his death a homicide.
Michael Virgil, 35, and his family boarded Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas in Los Angeles on Dec. 13, 2024, for a four-day cruise to Ensenada, Mexico, for what they intended to be a fun vacation.
What started as a routine departure quickly unraveled after a security-related incident on the ship and later became the center of a legal battle, the lawsuit says.
The family, including Virgil’s longtime fiancee and their young son with autism, filed a wrongful death complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
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Michael Virgil, 35, is seen kicking in the door on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas flight before being let off by security. (Obtained by FOX 11 Los Angeles)
The lawsuit alleges that the cruise line is responsible for his death, alleging that he was subjected to what he called excessive use of force and lethal actions by crew members.
Allegedly, the family was directed to a bar with live music because their cabins were not ready. While they waited, Virgil’s son, then 7 years old, began to get restless and went to check the room with his mother, leaving Virgil alone.
The lawsuit alleges that within hours of the ship’s departure, the crew negligently served him at least 33 alcoholic beverages, after which he became intoxicated and increasingly agitated as he tried to find his cabin.
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Security and crew allegedly grabbed Virgil, restrained him, and put pressure on his body until he stopped moving. The complaint states that, on the instructions of the staff captain, the crew injected him with the sedative Haloperidol and used three cans of pepper spray.
The combination of restraint, use of sedatives, and pepper spray caused severe hypoxia, impaired breathing, respiratory failure, cardiovascular instability, and ultimately cardiopulmonary arrest, the lawsuit says. The coroner later ruled the death a homicide.
The cause of death was “the combined effects of mechanical asphyxia, obesity, cardiomegaly, and ethanol poisoning,” the coroner wrote. The report also stated that the injury occurred due to “body compression during restraint by multiple ship security personnel” and “ingestion of ethanol.”
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Virgil’s body remained refrigerated on the ship until the ship returned to Los Angeles on December 16, 2024.
“Michael’s family has suffered unimaginable heartache and torture caused by Royal Caribbean, the mega cruise line that prioritizes profits over passenger safety,” said Kevin Haynes, a partner at Kherkher Garcia. “Crew members, including security and medical personnel, are required to undergo rigorous competency training; it is clear that Royal Caribbean has been completely negligent in the recruitment, training and supervision of its large fleet of marine personnel.
“What was supposed to be a lovely family holiday came to an unimaginably tragic end due to the abhorrent handling of a situation that should never have happened,” Haynes added.
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Top view of Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas cruise ship. (Royal Caribbean)
The complaint also states that Virgil purchased the “Deluxe Beverage Package,” which gives passengers access to nearly all beverage offerings on the ship, including alcohol. Alcohol sales are among Royal Caribbean’s largest revenue streams, he explains, and ships are designed with multiple outlets serving alcohol throughout the ship.
“We have been witnessing an incredibly alarming number of serious injuries and deaths on cruise ships recently,” Haynes said. “Our goal is to push for systemic change in the way this industry operates to ensure no person or family ever experiences a tragedy like this again.”
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Through the lawsuit, Michael Virgil’s estate is seeking compensation under the Death on the High Seas Act, including loss of support, inheritance, past and future earnings, and net savings. The family also seeks funeral and medical expenses, loss of companion and protection, mental pain and suffering, among other claims.
Royal Caribbean told TMZ it does not comment on pending litigation.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Royal Caribbean for comment.
