Passenger attempts to break down cabin door, arrested, cruisers says
In:An unruly Royal Caribbean passenger terrorized other guests and crew members shortly after departing from California.
UPDATE: The man was detained and died shortly thereafter.
A cell phone video shows a man hurling threats and trying to kick down a door aboard Navigator of the Seas.
The 139,999 gross registered ton vessel had departed San Pedro, California, and was bound for Ensenada, Mexico when the incident occurred.
"The gentleman that was drunk said that he was gonna kill us, and then he started chasing us down the hallway," Christifer Mikhail told FOX 11.
Mikhail was sailing aboard Navigator to celebrate his and his wife's birthdays and anniversary. They were traveling with a dozen family and friends.
Less than an hour after departing San Pedro, Mikhail tried to return to his stateroom to charge his phone and grab a jacket to watch a movie on the pool deck when he encountered the rowdy guest.
"I was waiting for them to say cut and come out of the rooms," he remarked, "I was kinda scared [because] I was like, 'Dude, I'm stuck in this hallway [and] everyone else is kind of behind something.'"
The disruptive passenger kicked a crew member in the face and punched another. Mikhail sailed that the crew member who was punched was hit with such force that he "flew a couple feet back."
Eventually, the ship's security team—armed with pepper spray, zip ties, and handcuffs—was able to subdue the now shirtless guest who had also been spewing profanity and racial comments.
"[They] kinda acted like [a] SWAT team and set up a barrier and then they attacked, so they just waited for him to kind of run out of energy," Mikhail recalled.
Though the unidentified passenger was no longer at risk of harming Mikhail, the incident followed him throughout the rest of the cruise, as he had to speak with Royal Caribbean management and the FBI about the ordeal.
The guest spent the cruise in one of the ship's two jail cells. "He kind of ruined [the vacation] for his family," said Mikhail.
What happens when guests get violent on cruise ships?
Though Royal Caribbean hasn't issued a statement about the incident, it's safe to assume the passenger will be banned from sailing with the cruise line again.
Earlier this year, a group of guests sailing aboard Carnival Paradise was banned after an argument turned into a violent fight in the ship's buffet.
The footage, which Nick Richardson uploaded to YouTube and TikTok, depicts about 10 to 15 passengers screaming, slapping, and tackling one another to the floor. Things escalated even further when guests began throwing chairs.
In an emailed statement to USA Today, Carnival confirmed the fight took place onboard Carnival Paradise.
“Carnival Paradise’s security team intervened in an incident that took place on June 6. As is our policy, we will not tolerate such behavior and the guests involved were fined and will not sail on Carnival Cruise Line again," Matt Lupoli said in the statement.
Incidents like these often result in immediate intervention by the ship's security staff, with offenders facing fines, legal action, and permanent bans from the cruise line, especially when crew members are assaulted.
Unruly guests disrupt the experience for other passengers and risk the safety of guests and crew, which is of paramount importance to cruise lines.
Navigator of the Seas is a Voyager Class ship that sails out of California year-round
The 3,968-passenger ship offers voyages ranging from 3 to 8 nights.
The shortest cruises visit Ensenada, Mexico, while the longer ones sail to the Mexican Riviera, calling at ports like Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, and Mazatlán.
Read more: What it's like to cruise on Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas
