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Published on: December 19, 2024

Royal Caribbean Cruise Passenger Accused of Verbally Attacking Crew Dies in Security’s Custody.

A Royal Caribbean passenger who is accused of verbally attacking the crew and kicking at a door on board has died while detained by the cruise ship’s security.

Michael Virgil, 35, has been identified as the passenger who died on Dec. 13 aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas. He was traveling with his fiancé and 7-year-old son.

The incident happened about an hour after the ship left from the port of San Pedro, near Los Angeles, California. Cell phone footage of Virgil that has gained traction online shows him attempting to kick down a door, trying to get at one of the crew members.

Published on: December 18, 2024

College Athlete Convicted of attacking 17-year-old on Carnival Cruise Ship, officials say

By Leesfield & Partners

A man convicted of raping a 17-year-old on a Carnival Cruise sexually assaulted at least half a dozen other people, according to an FBI investigation.

Jalen Thomas Kelley, 22, of Abingdon, Maryland, was convicted of aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse and assault after police say he raped a minor aboard the Carnival Legend in January 2023. During the two-week trial, six other people spoke out against Kelley and testified that he had sexually assaulted them in separate incidents.

Officials with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland said in a news release that Kelley could face a maximum sentence of life in prison. As of Tuesday morning, he had not been sentenced. His sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge.

Published on: December 13, 2024

Fire Breaks Out on Cruise Ship with Headquarters in Miami. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

An electrical fire broke out on the first night of a cruise leaving Port Canaveral over the weekend.

The electrical fire allegedly started in an emergency generator room of MSC Seashore Sunday. No injuries were reported in this incident and the fire was quickly put out, according to reporting from media outlets following cruise line news. As a result of the incident, guests reported smoke, dining room closures and elevator shutdowns.

The ship is set to return to Port Canaveral on Dec. 15.

Published on: December 6, 2024

Man Accused in Cruise Fight Gets Jail Time. What’s a Cruise Line’s Duty in Protecting Passengers?

By Leesfield & Partners

A cruise line passenger was sentenced to just over two years in prison with 50 months of mandated anger management and substance abuse treatment after a 2023 fight on a ship involving a fellow passenger.

Michael Truman, 39, was recently convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, according to news outlets.

His charges stem from an October 2023 incident aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship during a performance in the ship’s theater. Another passenger allegedly asked Truman to quiet down during the performance twice before deciding to get crew members involved.

Published on: November 26, 2024

A College’s Year-Long Study Discovered Cruise Ship’s Effects in Key West was ‘like having 32 hurricanes.’ What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

When cruise ships sail into Key West, the looming vessels evoke thoughts about the tourist economy.

What people don’t think about is how much damage these ships can cause to local marine life as they navigate through the port.

The College of the Florida Keys recently revealed in a year’s long study that the turbidity measures of ships – the level of suspended particles, such as sediment and organic matter, stirred up by the ship as it moves through the area – surpassed limits set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In some cases, these ships’ turbidity measurements reached levels akin to storms such as the recent damage left behind by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Published on: November 18, 2024

Over 100 people sue after cruise ship illness. Now, the cruise line is being accused of downplaying the numbers.

By Leesfield & Partners

More than 100 passengers who traveled on P&O’s Ventura, a ship owned by Carnival Cruise Line, have filed suit after they say they got sick on board.

Attorneys for the passengers claim there were “repeated outbreaks” of illness on the ship between April and June. About 519 passengers reported for weeks about their symptoms of norovirus, a stomach bug that causes inflammation in the stomach and intestines and is highly contagious. The first outbreak allegedly took place in May during a two-week cruise around the Canary Islands.

In reporting from the BBC it was alleged that Carnival communicated that less than 1% of passengers experienced symptoms while Southampton health officials claimed the number was closer to 12% of passengers.

Published on: November 15, 2024

Photos Show Fallout of Bad Weather Damage to Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship

By Leesfield & Partners

Photos were published online of the damage to a cruise ship that was hit by storm-force winds while sailing from Spain to Miami.

The frightening voyage resulted in the injury of at least one passenger who will be allowed to evacuate the ship for additional medical care on shore in Las Palmas, Spain. No other details, including the condition of the passenger, were immediately available Wednesday.

Passengers reported to CBS news that their captain said over the ship’s intercom speakers that the ship was impacted by winds that had gone from 46 mph to over 80 mph.

Published on: November 12, 2024

Hurricane-Force Winds Injure Cruise Ship Passenger. What Do These Companies Owe Their Passengers?

By Leesfield & Partners

Hurricane-Force Winds Injure Cruise Ship Passenger. What Do These Companies Owe Their Passengers?

A Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines passenger was injured after their ship was hit by forceful winds, according to USA Today.

The ship, Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas, “experienced sudden movement” on Nov. 7 as the ship headed to Miami, Florida, from Barcelona, Spain. The incident happened as the ship sailed through Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands. The passenger is being disembarked for additional medical attention, a cruise line spokesperson told reporters.

Published on: October 30, 2024

Outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease Linked Back to Two Cruise Ships, CDC says.

By Leesfield & Partners

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report detailing two separate outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease linked to cruise ships on different cruise lines.

The report’s findings say that the two ships, which were referred to as only “Ship A” and “Ship B,” had outdoor, private hot tubs on balconies. These hot tubs, according to the CDC, were the most likely cause of the outbreaks. Cases began springing up in November 2022, resulting in at least 12 passengers exposed to the disease.

Ship A, which had cases of Legionnaires’ Disease from November 2022 until April 2024, had a total of eight cases on board. Five of these cases stemmed from the same 14-day cruise in November 2022. Two other cases were identified from August-September 2023. In April 2024, one additional patient was identified. Both patients who were exposed in 2023 told health officials they were staying in cabins with hot tubs on the balconies. Of these cases, six were hospitalized.

Published on: October 21, 2024

Woman Charged, Accused of Assaulting Fellow Passengers Aboard Florida Cruise Ship

By Leesfield & Partners

A woman was taken into custody by police when her cruise ship docked at PortMiami after police accused her of assaulting another passenger.

Kelli Lyn Ryan, 49, of Huntsville, Alabama, was charged with battery on a person 65 years old or older.

A person convicted of this charge in Florida is guilty of a third-degree felony and could face a prison sentence of up to five years and or a fine of up to $5,000.