A disturbing violation of privacy aboard a luxury cruise ship has sparked legal action from passengers across North America.
According to the New York Post, nineteen passengers, including four minors, have filed a lawsuit against Royal Caribbean and former crew member Arvin Joseph Mirasol after he placed hidden cameras in guest room bathrooms aboard the Symphony of the Seas.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, follows Mirasol's August sentencing to 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. The plaintiffs, who remain anonymous in court documents, hail from various states including New York, Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas, with several Canadian citizens among them.
The legal action reveals a potentially massive scope of victims, with attorneys suggesting up to 960 people may have been affected by hidden cameras in bathroom facilities. The incidents occurred during Mirasol's employment as a stateroom attendant between December 2023 and February 2024.
Spencer Aronfeld of Aronfeld Trial Lawyers, representing the victims, shared the following statement:
This is an extraordinarily unusual case in that the pool of victims can be nearly 1,000 or more men, women and children. For those who had their images recorded, uploaded on the internet and potentially sold on the dark web – this has created deep emotional pain, sleepless nights and tearful days.
The lawsuit alleges that Mirasol not only recorded passengers without consent but also distributed the footage to third parties and potentially uploaded it to the dark web.
The legal documents highlight a concerning trend in cruise ship safety, noting 26 sexual assaults and rapes reported on Royal Caribbean vessels in 2023, up from 22 in 2022. Overall industry data shows an increase in sexual assault allegations, with 131 sex crimes reported to the FBI on U.S.-related cruise ships in 2023, compared to 87 in 2022.
A separate incident mentioned in the lawsuit involved another Royal Caribbean ship, Harmony of the Seas, where a hidden camera discovered in May 2023 had allegedly recorded over 150 people, including 40 children, using a public bathroom on the top deck.
The plaintiffs' attorneys argue that Royal Caribbean failed to implement adequate security measures and properly screen their employees. They suggest the company's reluctance to warn passengers about such incidents stems from financial motivations.
The victims report severe emotional distress manifesting in physical symptoms, including nausea, insomnia, and persistent anxiety about their private moments being viewed and misused by others. Their legal team has demanded a jury trial to address these grievances.
Aronfeld's team expressed confidence in securing a favorable verdict:
Our mission is to fully investigate this case on behalf of our clients and hold RCL accountable for failing to properly vet, hire, supervise and retain Mr. Mirasol. We have confidence that the jury will have no problem returning a substantial verdict in favor of the victims.
The lawsuit filed by nineteen passengers against Royal Caribbean and former crew member Arvin Joseph Mirasol represents a significant escalation in the hidden camera scandal aboard Symphony of the Seas.
The case, which emerged after Mirasol's 30-year prison sentence for producing child pornography, involves victims from multiple states and Canada. As the legal proceedings unfold, investigators continue to assess the full extent of the privacy violations, with potentially hundreds more victims yet to come forward.
