A new lawsuit is raising serious questions about cruise over-serving after the family of Michael Virgil, 35, sued Royal Caribbean over his death aboard the Navigator of the Seas. The complaint, filed seven months after an autopsy ruled the death a homicide, alleges the cruise line over-served Virgil and then used excessive force during an incident that unfolded within hours of departure.
According to the lawsuit, Virgil and his family began what was intended to be a short vacation from Los Angeles to Ensenada on Dec. 13, 2024. When their cabin wasn’t ready, staff directed them to a bar, where the suit claims crew members negligently served Virgil “at least 33 alcoholic drinks.” The family says he became intoxicated and agitated while trying to find his room, leading to a confrontation with security.
The suit alleges security “tackled and restrained” Virgil, using body compression until he stopped moving. Crew members allegedly administered Haloperidol and deployed “three cans of pepper spray.” The medical examiner later wrote that the cause of death was the “combined effects of mechanical asphyxia, obesity, cardiomegaly and ethanol intoxication,” with injuries occurring during restraint by “multiple ship security personnel.”
Attorney Kevin Haynes argued Royal Caribbean “prioritizes profit over passenger safety,” adding the company was “completely negligent in the hiring, training and supervision” of its employees. He said, “What was supposed to be a beautiful family vacation came to an unimaginably tragic end.”
The family is seeking damages under the Death on the High Seas Act. Royal Caribbean declined to comment on specifics of the ongoing case.
