Royal Caribbean passenger who died was served 33 drinks, according to lawsuit

MIAMI, Fla. - In a case that could have significant implications for the cruise industry, the family of Michael Virgil, a 35-year-old man who died aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise, has filed a lawsuit against the company. 

What we know:

The lawsuit claims that the cruise line overserved Virgil more than 30 drinks during a December 2024 cruise departing from Los Angeles, leading to his tragic death.

The lawsuit, filed in Miami where Royal Caribbean is headquartered, includes disturbing allegations about the events leading up to Virgil's death. 

Video footage captures Virgil shirtless and disoriented, attempting to find his cabin by kicking a door. Attorneys for Virgil's family argue that his behavior was a direct result of being served at least 33 drinks by the cruise line.

What they're saying:

Trial attorney Jeremy Rosenthal, who has reviewed the lawsuit, commented on the situation, stating, "Somewhere between drink number seventeen and thirty-three, probably somebody with the cruise line should have recognized that it was a little much. That doesn't make the lawsuit necessarily a slam dunk, but there are some bad facts here for the cruise line."

The lawsuit further alleges that security personnel restrained Virgil using zip ties and handcuffs, deployed multiple cans of pepper spray, and injected him with sedatives. The medical examiner ruled the manner of death as homicide.

Kevin Haynes, representing Virgil's fiancée and 8-year-old son, highlighted the severity of the situation, stating, "Not only did they overserve him alcohol once they determined the need for security intervention, the first domino that fell is that they physically restrained him with five people physically on top of him, resulting in mechanical asphyxiation, which is what George Floyd suffered."

The other side:

In response, Royal Caribbean issued a statement expressing their condolences: 

"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."

Dig deeper:

Rosenthal believes this case could impact how cruises offer, advertise, and operate all-you-can-drink alcohol packages. 

"There's just no universe where you can serve a person that much alcohol repeatedly and not have some degree of responsibility for what ultimately happens," he said. "If they get hit with a bad enough judgment here, that's gonna be the only way that makes them think that that's not such a great idea."

On the other hand, Rosenthal anticipates that attorneys for Royal Caribbean will argue that Virgil chose to drink excessively, emphasizing personal responsibility. "Royal Caribbean's gonna say, look, this is this person's fault, and that personal responsibility matters, and that you just can't go and be unhinged like this," he added.