Allegations Surrounding Death on Royal Caribbean Cruise

Employees of Royal Caribbean are accused of placing a passenger’s body in a “refrigerator” while they continued a three-day cruise to Mexico. The family’s attorney claims the man died following a confrontation with staff after being served an excessive number of drinks.

Michael Virgil, a 35-year-old father from Southern California, reportedly drank heavily at one of the ship’s bars last December, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by his fiancée. After a long drinking session that started while he awaited access to his cabin, he allegedly left the bar, became agitated when he couldn’t find his room, and threatened crew and other passengers.

A passenger recorded a video showing a visibly intoxicated Virgil, sans shirt, hitting a wall in his cabin. Reports indicate a coroner in Los Angeles determined his death was a homicide, primarily due to asphyxiation that occurred during the altercation with staff. Lawyers have drawn parallels between this case and the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis back in 2020.

Virgil had boarded the Navigator of the Seas for a cruise from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico, accompanied by his fiancée, their 7-year-old son, and other family members. After a ship’s doctor confirmed his death in the medical bay, his fiancée, Connie Aguilar, pleaded with authorities to return to Long Beach, but the cruise line declined, according to attorney Kevin Hayes.

“They refused,” Hayes said. “They stored Michael in a refrigerator and continued with the cruise.” It’s unclear whether this “refrigerator” was intended for food or resembled those typically used in morgues.

Royal Caribbean has not issued a specific statement regarding the incident, nor have they revealed the complexities and costs that would come with returning the large cruise ship to port. Generally, the Navigator can accommodate around 3,300 guests and is serviced by over 1,200 staff in its 24 bars and restaurants.

Virgil’s autopsy revealed a blood alcohol level near twice the legal driving limit, and he had purchased an “all-you-can-drink” package for the voyage. The medical examiner ruled that his death was caused by “obesity, cardiac hypertrophy, and mechanical asphyxia, compounded by ethanol intoxication.” Reports suggest that crew members applied their full weight on him in efforts to subdue him.

Questions have arisen about potential additional factors leading to Virgil’s death. The lawsuit alleges that staff used multiple cans of pepper spray and administered haloperidol, a sedative, during the incident. However, the coroner found no sign of this drug in his system, despite claims of its administration. The FBI is currently investigating the matter.

Hayes stated that the initial factor leading to Virgil’s death was mechanical asphyxia, noting that an estimated five or more Royal Caribbean employees attempted to restrain him for several minutes. He drew comparisons to George Floyd’s case, mentioning that the force used rendered Virgil unable to breathe, though Floyd’s death involved debatable factors including heart disease and drug use.

The attorney conveyed that while Virgil’s family does not condone his actions during the incident, they believe he shouldn’t have been allowed to drink to such excess, especially after being confronted in the bar. “His behavior was related to his circumstances,” Hayes said, “and it should not have resulted in a death sentence.”