The fiancée of a cruise ship passenger who died after being detained during what authorities described as a drunken, threatening outburst aboard a Royal Caribbean ship bound for Mexico has filed a lawsuit against the cruise line.
Michael Virgil, 35, died within an hour of being detained by security on the Navigator of the Seas on Dec. 13, 2024 — the same day he boarded the ship from the port of San Pedro, near Los Angeles.
According to the wrongful death complaint obtained by PEOPLE, Virgil was on the cruise to Ensenada, Mexico, with his fiancé, his then 7-year-old son and family members.
The complaint claims that starting around 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 13, Virgil, who participated in the ship’s all-inclusive drink package, was “negligently served” at least 33 alcoholic beverages.
“[Virgil] was visibly intoxicated such that each of Royal Caribbean crew members should not have continued to serve alcohol to him while he was exhibiting these visible signs of intoxication, and each of these crew members were negligent for continuing to serve [Virgil] alcoholic beverages in his intoxicated state,” per the complaint.
Per the complaint, Virgil tried to find his cabin but got lost and became agitated.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(781x537:783x539):format(webp)/navigator-of-the-seas-royal-caribbean-071825-3b855af68b144011adfa1113cc201945.jpg)
Cruise ship MS Navigator of the Seas.Horacio Villalobos – Corbis/Getty
A video captured by passenger Christifer Mikhail and obtained by Fox 11 showed Virgil repeatedly kicking down a door in the hallway inside the ship and loudly shouting, “I’m going to knock you the f— out,” as members of the vessel’s security surround him.
“The gentleman that was drunk said that he was going to kill us and then he started chasing us down the hallway,” Mikhail told Fox 11, referring to himself and a crew member who “locked himself in one of the towel rooms.”
According to the complaint, crew members tackled Virgil to the ground, stood on his body “with their full weight,” and “compressed” his body, causing him to stop moving.
Virgil was allegedly “subjected to prolonged prone restraint with multiple Royal Caribbean crew members applying compressive force to [his] back and torso, impairing chest expansion, limiting diaphragmatic motion, and obstructing venous return, leading to impaired breathing and hypoxia.”
The complaint claims that the crew members, at the request of the staff captain, gave Virgil an injection of the sedative haloperidol and used multiple cans of pepper spray on him.
According to the complaint, his death was ruled a homicide “as the use of force by Royal Caribbean crew members, as well as over service of alcoholic beverages leading to intoxication, directly contributed to and caused the physiologic conditions leading to [Virgil’s] death.”
Per the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner, Virgil died from combined effects of mechanical asphyxia, obesity, cardiomegaly, and ethanol intoxication. The medical examiner confirms his death was ruled a homicide.
Per the complaint, Virgil’s body was “refrigerated” on board the cruise ship as the vessel continued to Ensenada. It returned to Los Angeles on Dec. 16.
Royal Caribbean issued a statement to PEOPLE, saying “We were saddened by the passing of one of our guests, worked with authorities on their investigation, and will refrain from commenting any further on pending litigation.”
News
YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT SHE SAID — MAFS’ RACHEL GILMORE REVEALS HOW STEVEN BROKE HER HEART
The 35-year-old said it all started when Steven came to visit her in Melbourne. MAFS bride Rachel’s bombshell update after…
Grant Denyer hits back after being accused of causing motor racing accid3nt that left driver with a br0ken sp!ne — then making light of it on social media
Grant Denyer has denied accusations that he caused a crash that left another racer with a broken spine in last weekend’s…
KYLE SANDILANDS SPOTTED IN OVERSIZED OUTFIT… AFTER SH0CKING COURT DOCUMENTS REVEAL DETAILS ABOUT JACKIE ‘O’
Kyle Sandilands took some time out from his ongoing legal battle with ARN on Thursday to spend some quality time with…
IT’S JUST REALLY HARD TO GET TO THIS POINT… – THE HEARTBREAKING REASON RACHEL AND STEVEN’S LOVE ENDED
It was meant to be a fairytale ending. After weeks of emotional ups and downs on Married At First Sight,…
HOT SCOOP — Meghan Markle Finally Heading to Australia… But This Trip Holds Secrets Bigger Than Anyone Thinks
With Meghan Markle‘s Australian visit just around the corner, rumours are swirling about the real reason for the trip. The Duchess…
ATTENTION-GRABBING ROYAL MOMENT — Kate Middleton suddenly turned toward a younger family member… and what happened next quietly caught people off guard
The Princess of Wales proved the Earl of Wessex is firmly in the royal fold as they shared a sweet interaction at the family’s…
End of content
No more pages to load






