A Royal Caribbean passenger, Connie Aguilar, is suing the cruise line on behalf of her fiancé who died after he was over served alcohol, after which pepper-sprayed, restrained by safety, and injected with a sedative.
The incident occurred on December thirteenth, 2024, on the primary day of a weekend cruise aboard the Navigator of the Seas. The person, Michael Virgil, was on the cruise with Aguilar and their seven-year-old autistic son. The household’s cabin was not prepared after they boarded the cruise so, on the suggestion of the cruise line, they went to the ship’s bar at round 10:30 a.m. PST.
Virgil was left alone on the bar after Aguilar and their son went to test on the standing of their cabin. In keeping with courtroom paperwork, Virgil was served a unprecedented quantity of alcohol, 33 drinks, whereas he waited for his room. Virgil had bought the ship’s all you’ll be able to drink package deal which incentivizes passengers to drink excessively “to get their cash’s price.”
Intoxicated and with out his household, Virgil left the bar to search for his cabin. In his confused state, he grew to become more and more agitated after which violent as he couldn’t find his room. Virgil reportedly assaulted a number of crew members and tried to kick down a door. A video of the incident may be seen under.
Ship safety restrained Virgil utilizing bodily power, used a number of cans of pepper spray, and injected the sedative Haloperidol, in keeping with courtroom paperwork. Haloperidol is an antipsychotic medicine and will strictly be prevented with alcohol resulting from hypotension. Haldol (haloperidol) is contraindicated with somebody intoxicated and causes extreme drowsiness and central nervous system despair, worsening respiration issues and dangerously low blood stress.
Virgil died later within the day whereas below below safety custody. Courtroom paperwork argue that “the compression of DECEDENT’S physique by ROYAL CARIBBEAN crewmembers, together with safety personnel, instantly triggered vital hypoxia and impaired air flow, respiratory failure, cardiovascular instability, and finally cardiopulmonary arrest resulting in DECEDENT’S loss of life.”
Royal Caribbean then refrigerated Mr. Virgil’s physique on the cruise ship till the ship returned to port in Los Angeles on December 16, 2025.
We’ve dealt with our share of circumstances the place Royal Caribbean over-served visitors with alcohol. The best quantity of alcohol we’ve got heard of is twenty-two (22) alcoholic drinks offered to a younger man inside a comparatively brief time period (4 hours). That individual case concerned the younger man blacking out resulting from alcohol poisoning, climbing onto a lifeboat in a drunken stupor, and finally falling off the ship (Oasis of the Seas). Happily, he was recovered by a Disney cruise ship (Disney Magic) which encountered him within the water.
The act of Royal Caribbean bartenders serving Mr. Virgil with 33 drinks of alcohol (round two fifths) is clearly outrageous conduct with none regard for the well being and security of its visitor. The lawsuit, which was filed earlier at this time, alleges punitive damages along with the damages permitted by the Dying on the Excessive Seas Act which applies to deaths in worldwide waters.
One of many issues with cruise strains which push alcohol gross sales is that suggestions and gratuities from the sale of booze on ships is a serious supply of revenue for ship bartenders. For instance, Royal Caribbean fees a 18% gratuity on all you’ll be able to drink packages.
It’s uncertain that Royal Caribbean has made any vital modifications to its coverage and procedures in promoting alcohol on its ships resulting from this man’s loss of life. Revamping its coaching and training of its bartenders, terminating the bartenders who over-served Mr. Virgil and the supervisors and managers concerned in overseeing the sale of alcohol on this ship, together with these within the meals and beverage division, is required to reveal that this cruise line acknowledges the substantial hurt that it triggered to Mr. Virgil and his household by its callous and irresponsible conduct.
The lawsuit alleges that regulation enforcement and/or the medical coroner discovered that Mr. Virgil’s loss of life was thought-about to represent a “murder.” It’s simple to know why. Serving a visitor as a lot as two fifths of alcohol, after which pepper-spraying, restraining, and injecting him with a sedative, is for certain to trigger critical hurt if not loss of life.
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