Royal Caribbean passenger who died on board cruise ship was served 33 drinks, lawsuit claims

A 35-year-old California man died on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship last year after allegedly being served an excessive number of drinks, his family claims in a lawsuit. Michael Virgil boarded the Navigator of the Seas with his fiancée and son from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico. According to court documents filed in Miami, where the cruise company is based, crew members "negligently" overserved Virgil for hours while he showed obvious signs of intoxication.

As Virgil became increasingly intoxicated, he attempted to find his cabin room but got lost and became agitated. He was then confronted by Royal Caribbean security members who allegedly tackled him to the ground and subdued him with their full body weight. The lawsuit alleges that these actions contributed to Virgil's death.

The family also claims that Royal Caribbean crew members injected Virgil with Haloperidol, a prescription medication used to treat psychotic disorders, at the request of the ship's captain. Additionally, multiple cans of pepper spray were allegedly used on him.

In a statement to CBS News, a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson said they "worked with authorities on their investigation" and would not comment further on pending litigation. The lawsuit alleges that Royal Caribbean had the right to refuse alcohol service to anyone who was visibly intoxicated but failed to do so to protect Virgil's life.

The incident is the second recent lawsuit against Royal Caribbean involving a death and excessive consumption of alcohol. A 66-year-old woman, Dulcie White, went overboard during a Taylor Swift-themed cruise in October after the ship's crew kept serving her alcohol despite signs of extreme intoxication. Her family claims that this was due to Royal Caribbean's unlimited alcoholic beverages package.

The case highlights concerns about the safety measures in place on cruise ships and the company's handling of incidents involving excessive drinking.

this is just so disturbing , I mean can't you just see how reckless and irresponsible that crew was? Serving an entire person like they're at a frat party , then attacking them when they try to make sense of their surroundings ? And what's with the Haloperidol injection? Like, are we seriously saying that's okay? It's just so many red flags here... and I'm sure it's not just about Virgil, but how many others have had bad experiences on those ships?

This is a classic case of "you can't serve an old king new wine" ... or in this case, you can't serve someone who's already intoxicated more drinks! It's just unbelievable that they thought it was okay to keep serving him despite his obvious signs of intoxication. The fact that multiple cans of pepper spray were allegedly used on him is just wild... I guess you could say that Royal Caribbean really "drowned" their customers in this case

I'm so worried about these cruise ship incidents, it's just not right . I mean, who wants to be served way too many drinks while trying to enjoy a vacation with loved ones? It's just common sense to know when someone's had enough booze and needs some space . And what's up with the security tackling him to the ground? That's just crazy talk . I guess it highlights how cruise ships need to be more careful about their drink policies and crew training . It's not worth risking lives like this over a few drinks, right? We should all be looking out for each other on these big vessels .

omg what a crazy story i just got back from the most random vacation at my grandma's lake house and it was literally the most relaxing thing ever no distractions just me and nature watching the sunset over the water and thinking about how much i love dogs our golden retriever is so extra he barked at every single squirrel anyway, have you guys tried those new protein bars that are supposed to be super healthy? my friend raves about them but I'm like "are they really worth it?" and now i'm just curious about the whole Haloperidol thing what's up with that med?

man... this is just heartbreaking the way he was treated by the crew is just unacceptable. i mean, come on, if they knew he was showing signs of intoxication, shouldn't they have cut him off? it's not like he was asking for a party, you know?

and haloperidol? that's a serious medication, dude. injecting someone with that without consent? that's some messed up stuff . and pepper spray? what's next, using batons on a passenger?

i'm not surprised by the number of lawsuits against royal caribbean, tbh. it seems like they're more concerned with making a profit than keeping their passengers safe. i mean, who needs safety protocols when you can sell more booze, right?

anyway, my heart goes out to michael virgil's family. may he rest in peace . this is just another example of the risks we take on cruise ships and how they're often prioritized over our well-being.

this is so disturbing, a life lost because of a company's negligence . I mean, come on, if you know someone's had too much to drink, don't keep pushing it, right? It's not that hard. And the fact that they allegedly gave him meds and pepper spray... what were they thinking?! it's just crazy how these cruise companies think they can get away with this stuff. The family is suing for negligence and I'm like... about time someone held them accountable . We need better safety measures in place on those ships, ASAP!

just can't believe what happened to that guy, 35 years old... died because they didn't stop serving him drinks when he was clearly hammered lol what is wrong with these cruise lines? don't they have protocols in place for situations like this? and pepper spray? haloperidol? that's some heavy stuff. it's not just about the drinking, it's about how they handled the situation... security tackling someone to the ground over being drunk is just crazy.

I'm literally shaking thinking about how these poor ppl are treated like disposable trash on those cruise ships. Like, if your fam can afford a 5-day vacation, why can't they get some basic human respect? The fact that they're trying to hide behind "just following protocols" is wild. Newsflash: protocol should never come at the cost of someone's life! And what's with all this pepper spray business? Like, have they even considered de-escalation techniques?!