Weather 
The family of a Riverside County man is suing Royal Caribbean Cruises, alleging the crew made several negligent decisions that contributed to his death on board.
The wrongful death lawsuit filed this week stems from the death of 35-year-old Michael Virgil, who was a passenger on a cruise from San Pedro to Ensenada in December 2024. It alleges that the cruise line overserved alcoholic drinks to Virgil and then used physical force to subdue him after he became unruly.
Virgil was allegedly served more than 30 alcoholic drinks on board. The man then became angry when he couldn’t find his room and was confronted by crew members.
“The video of Michael agitated, kicking a door – it’s totally out of character for him,” said Kevin Haynes, attorney for the victim’s fiance. “We’re not going to sit here and say it’s good behavior, but that’s not who he was as a person.”
“He was a loving father, they believed that he was a ‘gentle giant.’ So that’s what alcohol does to you. It transforms you into a different person, especially that much alcohol. So I can’t sit here and say that his family is excited about the way he was behaving but let me put it his way: it doesn’t deserve a death sentence.”
The lawsuit states that Virgil was also pepper-sprayed and injected with a sedative while he was being subdued.
The death investigation determined he died due to body compression while he was being restrained by multiple personnel and consuming alcohol.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide.
After Virgil’s death, Royal Caribbean issued a statement saying that they were saddened by the death of one of their passengers and that they were also cooperating with authorities.
© 2025 Television,
