His Fiance Died Drinking 33 Glass Of Alcohol, Women Sue The World's Second Largest Cruise Ship Company

Royal Caribbean cruise ship. (Unsplash)

JAKARTA - A woman named Connie Aguilar filed a lawsuit against the world's second-largest cruise ship company Royal Caribbean over the case of her fianc's death.

Quoting ABC News, Friday 12 December, Aguilar filed a lawsuit over allegations of poor handling of the Royal Caribbean crew causing his 35-year-old fianc Michael Virgil to die.

Aguilar accused Royal Caribbean of being negligent in presenting at least 33 glasses of liquor he was in arrears with Virgil on a round trip from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico.

The woman also accused the cruise crew of being responsible for Virgil's death in December 2024.

Virgil, who was under the influence of alcohol, went berserk on the Royal Caribbean trip, so he had to be handled by the crew.

In the lawsuit, it was explained that Aguilar and his fianc Virgil traveled on a cruise ship to Los Angeles-Ensenada-Los Angeles. Also included his second son, and a number of their other family members.

As a cruise ship, all food and beverages are served and can be enjoyed. However, Aguilar in his lawsuit said the crew served Virgil more than two dozen drinks so his fianc got lost and restless trying to find his room.

The lawsuit then accused the crew of arresting Virgil "and pressing him on with all their weight. The crew is said to have held Virgil for a long time on his stomach, pressed his back and body, and disturbed his breathing.

At the request of the captain, the crew then gave him a sedative and sprayed him with a pepper spray.

Still in the lawsuit document it was stated that the action caused Virgil's respiratory failure, heart attack, and death.

The Los Angeles Regional Medical Examiner declared the death a murder. He said that Virgil died from a combination of mechanical asphytics, namely when the force or object hindered breathing; obesity; heart enlargement and alcohol poisoning.

Based on video footage of a ship passenger named Christopher McHale obtained by the Los Angeles KTTV, during that moment Virgil was seen kicking the door in a narrow alley.

unconscious Virgil also shouted out harsh words, threatening to kill McHale and a crew member. He also chased them down the hall.

McHale said the crew members who were chased then locked themselves in the towel, which Virgil then tried to break through.

The video also records security officers and other people finally holding Virgil on the floor.

Furthermore, Aguilar's lawsuit states that crew members should not present alcohol to Virgil because the victim has clearly shown signs of getting drunk.

The lawsuit then cites a maritime general claim of law requiring operators such as Royal Caribbean to "supervise and help passengers who tend to commit harmful behavior to themselves or others".

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Miami, Royal Caribbean headquarters, on Friday last week. In his lawsuit, Aguilar demanded unspecified compensation. Until now Royal Caribbean has yet to respond to the lawsuit.