FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) – A lawsuit is making waves after a former cruise ship employee was found guilty of robbing passengers.
Spencer Aaronfeld, the attorney who filed the lawsuit against Royal Caribbean Group on behalf of 12 alleged victims, told 7News on Wednesday.
“Royal Caribbean operates the largest cruise ships, carrying tens of thousands of passengers, and I don’t believe they are doing enough testing.”
Aaronfeld said a former Symphony of the Seas crew member, Irvin Joseph Mirasol, hid a video camera in the cabin’s bathroom.
“He had installed a camera under the sink in the cabin’s bathroom and was recording people using the bathroom, including men, women, and children going in and out of the shower,” he said.
Mirasol was working on a cruise ship in early 2024 when his camera was discovered and he was arrested.
Mirasol pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
One of the victims and his attorney said the cruise line also bears responsibility.
“Yes, I was shocked. I mean, I just couldn’t believe it,” she said. “We trusted our privacy and safety to the cruise line, and I was shocked to hear that our privacy was completely thrown out the window in this situation.”
The passenger said her daughter was only 2 years old when she took the cruise, but now she and her family are afraid of public restrooms.
“Now we have these video detectors, so we can wave the detector around the room and see if we’re tracking any kind of signal,” she said.
Aaronfeld believes there may be more victims.
“I believe there are hundreds of other victims,” he said.
“We want disclosure and accountability. Ideally, we would also have compensation,” one passenger told 7News. “Most of the time, we want to prevent something like this from happening to anyone else’s family.”
Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to 7News’ request for comment. Immediately after Mirasol’s arrest, a spokesperson said the safety of guests was their top priority.
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