A dozen passengers claiming to be victims within the Royal Caribbean video voyeurism case filed a lawsuit towards the cruise line and the previous cabin steward who recorded personal actions inside their staterooms.
The go well with, filed on December 30, 2024 by Aronfeld Trial Legal professionals within the US District Court docket Southern District of Florida Miami Division, is on behalf of 12 passengers who sailed aboard the 5,500-guest Symphony of the Seas in December 2023 and January 2024.
The case unfolded when a male stateroom attendant, Arvin Joseph Mirasol, 34, was arrested because the ship returned to her Port Everglades homeport on March 3, 2024. The Philippines native was charged with inserting hidden cameras inside visitor staterooms. A minimum of one case concerned a minor youngster.
Mirasol’s actions had been revealed by a visitor crusing on an 8-day Southern Caribbean cruise that departed Port Everglades on February 24, 2024. The passenger found a digital camera hidden below her lavatory sink and alerted ship safety. The attendant was detained onboard and turned over to legislation enforcement when the ship returned to her homeport.
In August 2024, he pleaded responsible and was sentenced to 30 years in federal jail. The friends’ lawsuit prices Royal Caribbean with negligence.
“The truth that lots of the victims we symbolize nonetheless have no idea if and the way their photographs have been used or circulated is extremely disturbing. Among the plaintiffs are kids – and as soon as a picture is on the web it’s there eternally,” mentioned Spencer Aronfeld, legal professional for the plaintiffs.
“We hope that RCCL will take full accountability for the heinous and reprehensible conduct of its crewmember. And we hope that this lawsuit will inspire RCCL and the opposite main cruise strains to spend extra effort screening their crewmembers in order that such a assault by no means occurs once more,” Aronfeld added.
In accordance with court docket paperwork, the group of plaintiffs contains 12 friends —six from Arkansas and two every from Texas, Missouri, and Georgia.
The lawsuit prices that Mirasol filmed the friends of their staterooms and loos throughout cruises that departed from Port Everglades on December 24, 2023; January 13, 2024; and January 21, 2024.
Furthermore, the submitting states that friends onboard different Symphony of the Seas’ cruises additionally had been probably subjected to Mirasol’s actions, together with sailings that departed on January 7 and 27, 2024; and February 4, 10, and 18, 2024.
Noting {that a} cabin attendant may be answerable for as much as 20 staterooms per crusing, and with every cabin accommodating as much as 4 friends, Mirasol’s victims might whole greater than 900.
The lawsuit seeks a trial by jury and a monetary judgment for damages and punitive damages.
“The Plaintiffs on this case have suffered bodily ache, psychological anguish, lack of enjoyment of life, post-traumatic stress dysfunction, and different psychological and nervous problems. These accidents are everlasting and persevering with in nature,” states the court docket doc.
Lawsuit Costs Cruise Line With Breach of Religion
In accordance with court docket paperwork, following Mirasol’s arrest, Royal Caribbean didn’t notify friends who had stayed in cabins the place he was the attendant. Withholding the knowledge, the lawsuit states, was a breach of the cruise line’s “implied covenant of excellent religion and honest dealing.”
Learn Additionally: How one can Keep Secure and Take pleasure in Your Cruise Trip
The lawsuit additionally notes that the cruise line gives a “contractually-shortened discover interval of six months and statute of limitations of 1 yr” for civil fits.
“RCCL’s motive for failing to inform its passengers affected by MIRASOL’S acts was monetary in nature. RCCL was concealing the knowledge from its passengers in an effort to forestall them from submitting a civil go well with towards RCCL for damages associated to MIRASOL’S acts,” the go well with prices.
Royal Caribbean has not issued any assertion tied to the just-filed lawsuit. Sometimes, cruise strains don’t touch upon pending authorized instances.
