A passenger from Royal Caribbean International has filed a class-action lawsuit against the cruise line and a former crew member, claiming that nearly 960 individuals may have been recorded by a hidden camera in a bathroom on board.
The lawsuit, representing “Jane Doe” and others similarly affected, was submitted in the Southern District of Florida on Tuesday. This follows the conviction of Arvin Joseph Mirasol, a Philippine employee, who pleaded guilty to producing child pornography and received a 30-year federal prison sentence.
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The issue came to light when a guest found a hidden camera attached under the bathroom sink on February 25 and reported it to ship security. Mirasol, a stateroom attendant, was detained until the cruise ship arrived at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. Law enforcement discovered numerous videos of children aged 2 to 17 on his devices, indicating that Mirasol’s surveillance extended beyond minors, according to the lawsuit.
The complaint alleges that Mirasol transmitted or uploaded images of the plaintiff while undressed and engaging in private activities to third parties and potentially the dark web, all without the plaintiff’s prior knowledge or consent. It further claims that Mirasol concealed himself under passengers’ beds to spy on them and filmed them while they showered.
The lawsuit asserts that Royal Caribbean should have anticipated the risk of sexual assaults, given the history of such incidents on its cruise ships, and that the company failed to warn guests or adequately train its staff. In 2023, there were 26 reported sexual assaults and rapes on RCCL cruises, with 22 incidents reported in 2022. Allegations of sexual assault on cruise ships rose to 131 in 2023, compared to 87 in 2022 and 101 in 2019.
The complaint also states that the cruise line did not notify other passengers in rooms serviced by Mirasol between December 1, 2023, and February 26, 2024. The lawsuit estimates that up to 960 passengers may have been filmed.
Attorney Jason Margulies, representing the plaintiff, emphasized to Fox News Digital that the prevalence of sexual assaults, including voyeurism, on cruise ships is at an all-time high and needs urgent attention. He noted that Royal Caribbean became aware of this issue in March 2023 when a hidden camera was discovered in a public bathroom on one of its ships but has seemingly failed to take meaningful action to protect its passengers since then.
“Who knows how many countless numbers of pornographic images of these unsuspecting passengers will be circulating on the internet forever because Royal Caribbean failed to protect their privacy and allowed Mirasol to make these passengers victims.”
