Lawsuit Filed Against Royal Caribbean Over Hidden Camera in Stateroom

Royal Caribbean is the focus of a class action lawsuit related to a passenger’s claim that there were hidden cameras placed in bedrooms by a cruise line employee.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday, October 15 in the Southern District of Florida, according to a report in Newsweek. The plaintiffs include a passenger identified as Jane Doe, as well as “all other situated passengers,” according to the court filing.

In addition to Royal Caribbean, 34-year-old Arvin Joseph Mirasol, a former bedroom attendant for the cruise line on the Symphony of the Seas, is also named in the suit. Mirasol has already been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to producing child pornography back in August.

According to news reports, Mirasol "taped a video camera containing a memory card" in the plaintiff's cabin bathroom and "captured images of the Plaintiff while undressed and engaging in private activities.” The incident occurred during a February Symphony of the Seas cruise, the lawsuit explains.

The lawsuit further alleges that Mirasol "transmitted and/or uploaded images of the Plaintiff while undressed and engaging in private activities, to third parties and/or to the world wide web, including, but not limited to, the dark web, without Plaintiff's prior knowledge or consent."

As a result of this incident, the passenger suffered severe emotional distress, the court filing adds. Royal Caribbean has commented on the matter, telling Newsweek that:

"The safety and privacy of our guests is our highest priority, and we have zero tolerance for this behavior. We immediately reported this case to law enforcement and terminated the crew member. As this is pending litigation, we are unable to comment further at this time."

Meanwhile, the lawsuit alleges that the cruise line  "knew or should have known sexual assaults were reasonably foreseeable considering the prevalence of sexual assaults aboard RCCL's cruise ships."

On this front, the lawsuit refers to an incident that took place on Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas back in 2023. The incident involved a passenger being arrested after allegedly hiding a camera in a public bathroom on the ship. The camera was used to film more than 150 people. That figure includes children.

In addition, the lawsuit alleges that 26 sexual assaults and rapes were reported on Royal Caribbean cruises in 2023. This allegation is based on data maintained by the Department of Transportation, Newsweek reported.

Additional allegations in the lawsuit include that the cruise line "failed to take adequate steps and/or provide adequate security and/or training and/or supervision to prevent such sexual assaults, including video voyeurism, to occur aboard its cruise ships.”

The lawsuit also alleges that the cruise line failed to adequately warn passengers of these types of issues - such as sexual assaults and video voyeurism.

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