Cruise Ship Legal Action: Widow Sues After Guest Served 33 Drinks and Pepper-Sprayed

A family holiday aboard a luxury cruise liner descended into a nightmare, culminating in a death that has now been ruled a homicide, according to a shocking new lawsuit. The fiancée of Michael Virgil, who died on a Royal Caribbean cruise last year, has launched legal action against the company.

The suit claims that ship staff served the 35-year-old a staggering amount of alcohol—at least 33 drinks—before he was subdued with sedatives and pepper spray in a 'fatal' struggle with security. The high-stakes legal battle seeks damages for the loss of a father and partner.

Waiting For A Cabin On A Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Allegedly Led To 33 Drinks

The tragic sequence of events began shortly after Michael Virgil, aged 35, boarded the vessel with his fiancée, Connie Aguilar, and their seven-year-old son. According to court documents, the family was informed upon arrival that their stateroom was not yet ready for occupation. The lawsuit alleges that staff directed the family to a bar area to pass the time. However, as the wait extended for a 'long period of time', the couple's young son, who has autism, became increasingly impatient with the environment.

In an effort to calm the child, Aguilar reportedly left the bar area to check on the status of their cabin personally, leaving Virgil behind. It was during this unsupervised window that the situation allegedly spiralled out of control. The court filing claims that while the ship was travelling from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico, staff served Virgil 'at least 33 alcoholic beverages'.

Lawsuit Claims Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Staff Used 'Fatal' Restraint Tactics

Following the alleged binge, Virgil left the bar to search for his family and their room. The lawsuit describes a chaotic scene where, in his heavily intoxicated state, Virgil's search proved 'fruitless'. Unable to find the cabin, he reportedly grew increasingly upset to the point where he began trying to force open doors and took off his shirt. Video shared online appears to show Virgil in the middle of this corridor outburst as security staff move in and surround him.

The legal complaint asserts that the response from the crew went far beyond standard protocol. The documents allege that Virgil fell victim to 'the excessive force and fatal actions taken by crew members, including security and medical personnel'. Specifically, the suit claims that the team 'administered an injection of a sedative medication, Haloperidol, and used multiple cans of pepper spray'.

Medical Examiners Ruled The Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Death A Homicide

The consequences of this physical and chemical restraint were reportedly immediate and devastating. The filing alleges that the combination of actions taken by the staff caused 'significant hypoxia and impaired ventilation, respiratory failure, cardiovascular instability and ultimately cardiopulmonary arrest, leading to his death, which has been ruled a homicide.'

Aguilar is now seeking unspecified damages from the cruise line. These include compensation for loss of support, inheritance, past and future earnings, as well as funeral expenses and damages for mental pain and suffering.

In response to the tragedy, a spokesperson for the Royal Caribbean Group provided a statement regarding the incident.

'We were saddened by the passing of one of our guests, worked with authorities on their investigation, and will refrain from commenting any further on pending litigation,' the spokesperson said.

The company has previously stated that it offered support to the family and authorities at the time of Virgil's death.