The fiancée of a man who died aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, claiming the company’s negligence led to his death. Connie Aguilar is seeking unspecified damages and a jury trial for the death of her 35-year-old fiancé, Michael Virgil, alleging that crew members served him at least 33 alcoholic drinks before restraining him in a deadly manner. Royal Caribbean did not immediately comment on the lawsuit.
According to the complaint, Aguilar and Virgil were traveling with family, including their son, on a round-trip cruise from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico, in December 2024. Virgil, reportedly agitated and disoriented after excessive alcohol consumption, became lost while trying to find his room. Crew members then tackled him to the ground, stood on him, and restrained him in a prone position that compressed his torso and impaired his breathing. At the captain’s direction, the crew administered a sedative and sprayed him with pepper spray. The combination of these actions allegedly led to respiratory failure, cardiac arrest, and Virgil’s death.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide, citing mechanical asphyxia, obesity, an enlarged heart, and alcohol intoxication as contributing factors. Passenger-shot video shows Virgil kicking a door and confronting crew members in a narrow hallway. Witnesses described him as agitated, yelling profanities, and threatening others, while eventually being held down by security personnel.
The lawsuit contends that Royal Caribbean was negligent in continuing to serve alcohol despite clear signs of intoxication and that the company failed to properly train staff to intervene safely. It also accuses the cruise line of prioritizing alcohol sales, pointing out that ships are designed with numerous bars to encourage drinking. Aguilar’s attorneys argue that maritime law requires carriers to supervise passengers likely to engage in dangerous behavior, and that Royal Caribbean neglected its duty to protect Virgil’s life. The case was filed on Friday in federal court in Miami, where the cruise line is headquartered.