Settlement reached over Navigator of the Seas passenger death
Court records do not disclose the settlement amount, which is designated for Michael Virgil’s son.
A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit filed by the fiancée of Michael Virgil, who died aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas in December 2024 after consuming 33 alcoholic drinks and confronting security guards.
Virgil, 35, died as the ship began a four-day cruise from San Pedro to Ensenada. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Florida, alleged that the cruise line negligently served him too much alcohol and sought $75,000.
Court records do not list the settlement amount. The funds are to be paid to Virgil’s son, Michael Virgil Jr.
According to the coroner’s report, security guards zip-tied Virgil’s feet, handcuffed his wrists and used pepper spray, while a doctor administered a sedative. The report said Virgil was held face down with guards on top of him for three minutes, impairing his breathing. He stopped moving two minutes after being restrained and was pronounced dead at 8:32 p.m.
The autopsy report identified several factors that placed Virgil at risk of dying during the physical confrontation with guards.