A Royal Caribbean passenger has died after being detained by cruise ship security following a violent tantrum.
Laura Eimiller, a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Los Angeles field office, confirmed that the FBI is investigating the incident that occurred onboard Navigator of the Seas, as reported by USA Today. She did not share specifics about how the investigation will be conducted.
FOX 11 identified the passenger as Michael Virgil, 35, and shared video footage of the unruly guest trying to kick down a door. Christifer Mikhail, a nearby passenger who recorded the incident, told FOX 11 that Virgil was "...drunk [and] said that he was gonna kill [him], and then he started chasing [them] down the hallway."
Mikhail was on his way to his stateroom to charge his phone and grab a jacket to watch a movie on the pool deck when he ran into Virgil.
The incident occurred on embarkation day less than an hour after departing from Los Angeles (San Pedro), California. The vessel was en route to Ensenada, Mexico. Mikhail was onboard with a dozen family and friends to celebrate his and his wife's birthdays and anniversary. Navigator of the Seas returned to California on Monday, Dec. 16.
"I was waiting for them to say cut and come out of the rooms," he said, "I was kinda scared [because] I was like, 'Dude, I'm stuck in this hallway [and] everyone else is kind of behind something.'"
Thankfully, Mikhail remained unharmed, but he recalled that Virgil kicked a crew member in the face and punched another so hard that he "flew a couple fleet back." He was also said to be spewing profanity and racial slurs.
The ship's security team—who was armed with either bear or pepper spray, zip ties, and handcuffs—was finally able to subdue Virgil. However, his family says he was injected with a sedative and died within an hour.
"[Security] kinda acted like [a] SWAT team and set up a barrier and then they attacked, so they just waited for him to kind of run out of energy," Mikhail said.
The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner said the cause of his death is pending additional investigation.
“We are saddened by the passing of one of our guests,” a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean Group told USA TODAY, “We offered support to the family and are working with authorities on their investigation."
Virgil leaves behind an autistic 7-year-old son and a fiancé, both of whom were onboard the cruise with him, a relative told FOX 11. His family said his enraged behavior was completely uncharacteristic of him.
"He didn't deserve to die over it," the relative added.
FBI's "complicated" jurisdiction on cruise ships
The FBI and its partners work together to safeguard the millions of American passengers who sail on cruise ships each year. However, criminal jurisdiction at sea is complicated, and cooperation is key for investigating crimes at sea since they're not only governed by U.S. law.
"Because cruise ships are registered in one country but travel through international waters, and also carry crew and passengers from many countries, when a crime occurs, more than one country may want to investigate–which raises critical questions," reads the FBI's website.
Cruise lines are required to report homicides, suspicious deaths, missing U.S. nationals, kidnappings, assaults with serious bodily injuries, sexual assault, firing or tampering with a vessel, and theft of money or property of more than $10,000.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
