California Man Dies on Cruise; Fiancée Sues Royal Caribbean

A 35-year-old California man died aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship last December after consuming a large amount of alcohol and being restrained by security personnel, prompting his fiancée to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the company.

Michael Virgil, from Southern California, was traveling with his fiancée, Connie Aguilar, their 7-year-old autistic son and other family members on the Navigator of the Seas, a three-night voyage that departed from San Pedro, California, on December 13, 2024, bound for Ensenada, Mexico. According to the lawsuit filed in federal court in Miami, Virgil purchased the ship's deluxe beverage package, which allowed unlimited drinks. Internal records cited in the suit indicate that crew members served him at least 33 alcoholic beverages in the hours after boarding, even as he showed signs of visible intoxication.

The incident unfolded shortly after the family boarded around 10:30 a.m. Their cabin was not ready, so Aguilar took their son to check on it while Virgil waited at a bar. He later became disoriented while searching for his room, removed his shirt and kicked a cabin door, according to video footage captured by another passenger and...