Homicide Lawsuit: Man Dies After Receiving 33 Drinks and Sedative on Royal Caribbean Cruise

A lawsuit alleges that crew members served excessive alcohol to Michael Virgil, leading to his death aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise.

The death of a 35-year-old California man on a Royal Caribbean cruise has been officially classified as homicide, according to a lawsuit filed by his fiancée Connie Aguilar.

The legal documents obtained by TMZ state that crew members served Michael Virgil at least 33 alcoholic beverages, causing him to become severely intoxicated and disoriented while attempting to locate his cabin.

According to the lawsuit, "Virgil died of significant hypoxia and impaired ventilation, respiratory failure, cardiovascular instability, and ultimately cardiopulmonary arrest, leading to his death, which has been ruled a homicide."

Court documents allege that ship staff continued serving Virgil alcohol despite his displaying "obvious visual signs of intoxication."

The family first claimed in 2024 that ship security personnel injected Virgil with a powerful sedative that caused his death. A year later, they have reiterated this allegation in a new lawsuit, stating that officials have now changed the official cause of death to homicide, as reported by The NY Post.

The incident occurred while the couple was traveling with their 7-year-old son, who has autism, from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico. Upon arrival, their room was not ready, and they were directed to wait at a bar, according to the lawsuit.

Connie claims that after waiting extensively, their son became agitated. She left to check on their cabin's status, taking their son with her and leaving Michael alone at the bar.

The lawsuit alleges that during Connie's absence, bar staff served Michael dozens of alcoholic drinks. Later, heavily intoxicated, he attempted to find their cabin independently. Due to his severe intoxication, he was unable to locate the room, which caused him to become frustrated and attempt to break down a door.

After security detained him, Connie claims they used excessive force. The lawsuit states that security and medical personnel sprayed him with multiple cans of pepper spray and then administered a potent sedative called Haloperidol, which allegedly caused his death.

"Royal Caribbean crew members, including security personnel, then tackled the decedent to the ground, stood on the decedent's body with their full weight, and compressed the decedent's body, causing the decedent to stop moving," the lawsuit states, as reported by USA Today.

Kevin Haynes, a partner at Kherkher Garcia, LLP, the law firm that filed the suit, stated, "Michael's family has suffered unimaginable heartache and torment caused by Royal Caribbean, a mega cruise line that prioritises profit over passenger safety."

Haynes further asserted that crew members, including security and medical staff, should receive comprehensive training for handling onboard situations. However, he argued that Royal Caribbean has been negligent in hiring, training, and supervising its maritime employees.

Royal Caribbean issued a statement expressing sadness regarding Michael's death but declined further comment due to ongoing litigation.