A Royal Caribbean crew member has been arrested for reportedly installing hidden cameras in guests' bathrooms to secretly spy on young girls.
Arvin Joseph Mirasol, 34, a cabin steward from the Philippines, was arrested on Sunday after a passenger onboard Symphony of the Seas found a camera in her bathroom earlier that week.
The guest found the concealed camera when she reached under the sink to grab a roll of toilet paper. Afterward, she went to Guest Services, with the ship's security team responding to her cabin.
According to a post-Miranda interview, Mirasol claimed to have been hiding cameras in staterooms since he began working on the ship in December 2023, as well as hiding underneath the bed when guests were in the shower. Additionally, he said that he would pleasure himself after recovering the camera and watching the obtained footage.
He was detained on the ship until it returned to Fort Lauderdale on March 3. Upon arrival, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, and the Broward County Sheriff's Office reported to the scene to speak with security and Mirasol.
They investigated his electronic devices and found videos of women undressing, as well as child pornography. There was an additional video that actually showed Mirasol installing a camera.
A statement issued by Royal Caribbean said, "We have zero tolerance for this unacceptable behavior. We immediately reported this to law enforcement and terminated the crew member, and we will continue to fully cooperate with authorities.”
"I will be checking under [the] sink and bed now"
People have taken to social media and online forums to discuss the incident. The majority of comments condemn Mirasol's actions, while others wonder how he was able to get away with such vile acts.
One woman, whose Cruise Critic user name is link99, wrote that she'll be checking underneath the sink and bed on future cruises.
Link99, who will be boarding Symphony of the Seas in two weeks, later made up a hypothetical situation to add to their concern: "Just add this to your thoughts. [You're] at the Pool with your kids. They happen to need something from the room. You send them without another thought about it."
"No parent should have to worry about a person hiding in [their] room much less a cruise line employee. [It's] just sad. Yes [it's] just another thing to worry about. If it happens once it can happen again. I am serious about checking under the bed and sink each time we enter the cabin."
Thisguylikestocruise commented that the situation is going to give him "nightmares," while Sunshine3601 claimed that it was "creepy." Pochi Hanaki went as far as to compare it to a "horror movie."
User Gilley shared similar sentiments as Link99. As posted on a Royal Caribbean Blog discussion forum, they claim that they'll be "...taking a good look at every inch of [their] cabin moving forward," going so far as to potentially even flip the mattress.
Despite ONECRUISER'S claim that "...statistically, [it's] more likely [to] get stuck by lightning or fall overboard twice," other users say that it's still unsettling, especially if it were to happen to your wife, daughter, granddaughter, husband, son, or grandson.
Bead Pirate shares that their RAVIAD Detector gives them great peace of mind while on vacation
In fact, they claim that the detector, which can be purchased on Amazon for around $50, has helped them locate both microphones and hidden cameras in rental housing.
"We throw it in the suitcase whenever we travel land/sea/air does not matter. Takes 2 minutes to scan a room or can do a house in 5 minutes. Great peace of mind...," they said.
All you have to do is turn the device on and walk around the perimeter of the room, as well as near any furniture.
This is the second time in the past year that someone onboard a Royal Caribbean ship has been charged with hiding cameras
In May 2023, Jeremy Froias was arrested in Puerto Rico while sailing onboard Harmony of the Seas and charged with video voyeurism and attempted possession of child exploration material, according to court documents.
Froias allegedly placed a Wi-Fi camera in a public restroom, as well as on the top deck between one of the FlowRider simulators and a bar. The following day, another passenger spotted the camera and told the crew.
Harmony's security took possession of the camera and found hours' worth of video files on a memory card containing footage of Frois hiding the camera. More than 150 people, including around 40 children, were present in the videos.
While these instances are rare, they're a great reminder to be vigilant while on your cruise. Despite being safe, you should never let your guard down, and if something seems off, don't be afraid to report it to the ship's staff for further investigation.
Read more: Things that can get you kicked off a cruise ship in an instant
