A Royal Caribbean International passenger has filed a class-action lawsuit against the cruise line and a former crew member. The passenger alleges a hidden camera was placed in her cabin bathroom during a February Symphony of the Seas cruise.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of a passenger identified as Jane Doe, claims that Arvin Joseph Mirasol, a former stateroom attendant, secretly recorded images of the guest “while undressed and engaging in private activities.” The complaint was filed in the Southern District of Florida on Tuesday. She seeks to represent “all other similarly situated passengers” who may have been victims of this privacy breach.
Legal Consequences And Royal Caribbean’s Responsibility
Mirasol has already faced severe legal repercussions for his actions. In August, he was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for filming guests, including children, with hidden cameras while they were naked. The lawsuit alleges that Mirasol may have transmitted or uploaded these images to third parties or the dark web without the plaintiff’s knowledge or consent.
The passenger at the center of this lawsuit reports experiencing extreme emotional distress as a result of the incident. This distress manifests in physical symptoms, including insomnia, pain, and dizziness. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. These include punitive damages and demand for a jury trial. Additionally, the lawsuit raises questions about Royal Caribbean’s responsibility to prevent such incidents.
It alleges that the company “knew or should have known sexual assaults were reasonably foreseeable considering the prevalence of sexual assaults aboard RCCL’s cruise ships.” The complaint points to a previous incident on another Royal Caribbean ship, the Harmony of the Seas. On this ship, a passenger was arrested for allegedly filming people in a public bathroom without their knowledge.
The Cruise Line’s Response
This incident highlights a concerning trend in the cruise industry. According to reports, allegations of sexual assault on cruise ships rose to 131 in 2023, up from 87 the year before and 101 in 2019, before the industry’s COVID-19 shutdown. The lawsuit alleges that Royal Caribbean failed to provide sufficient security. Moreover, they did not adequately train or supervise employees to prevent such sexual assaults. They also did not specifically warn guests about these potential crimes.
In response to the lawsuit, Royal Caribbean told USA TODAY, “The safety and privacy of our guests is our highest priority, and we have zero tolerance for this behavior.” The company claims to have immediately reported the case to law enforcement and terminated the crew member upon discovering the incident. However, they are unable to comment further due to the pending litigation.
The lawsuit suggests that the impact of this privacy breach could be far-reaching. It alleges that Royal Caribbean failed to notify individual class plaintiffs who stayed in cabins serviced by Mirasol between December 1, 2023, and February 26, 2024. According to the complaint, there may be up to 960 impacted passengers.
