Royal Caribbean cruise ship passenger died after being served at least 33 drinks, lawsuit claims

The fiancee of a man who died on a cruise ship has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Royal Caribbean, alleging it negligently served him at least 33 alcoholic drinks and was liable for his death after crew members tackled him to the ground and stood on him with their full body weight

The fiancee of a man who died on a cruise ship has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Royal Caribbean, alleging it negligently served him at least 33 alcoholic drinks and was liable for his death after crew members tackled him to the ground and stood on him with their full body weight.

Connie Aguilar’s lawsuit for the death of 35-year-old Michael Virgil seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial. Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment on Tuesday.

Aguilar and Virgil were on a roundtrip voyage from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico, with other members of their family, including their son, at the time of Virgil’s death in December 2024, the lawsuit said.

Crew members on board Navigator of the Seas served Virgil more than two dozen drinks, after which he got lost and became agitated trying to find his room, it said. That’s when crew members tackled him and stood on him with their full weight, the lawsuit charges. They subjected him to prolonged prone restraint, compressed his back and torso, and impaired his breathing, the lawsuit said.

At the captain’s request, crew members administered a sedative and sprayed him with pepper spray, the lawsuit said.