Royal Caribbean Cabin Steward Arrested Over Hidden Cameras

A male stateroom attendant aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas was arrested on Sunday, March 3, 2024 under accusations of installing hidden cameras inside guests’ staterooms. The attendant confessed to the acts and faces federal charges, and he will be detained until his trial.

Royal Caribbean International is fully cooperating with investigators for this disturbing incident.

Stateroom Attendant Arrested for Hidden Cameras

A Royal Caribbean stateroom attendant, 34-year-old Arvin Joseph Mirasol from the Philippines, was arrested in Fort Lauderdale when Symphony of the Seas returned from her most recent cruise, an 8-night Southern Caribbean sailing that had departed Port Everglades on Saturday, February 24.

Mirasol allegedly placed hidden cameras in a number of staterooms, even moving the cameras on different sailings to film guests who met his preferences – including younger passengers.

Even more shockingly, Mirasol admitted to hiding under the beds in staterooms on “several occasions” while guests were reportedly in the shower.

Mirasol’s activities were discovered when a guest found a camera in her stateroom bathroom early on the sailing. She was traveling with two female family members, and found the camera underneath the sink. She alerted the ship’s security department, which immediately took action. Mirasol was detained by the ship’s security for the rest of the sailing.

The employee’s equipment, including a USB stick, SD card, camera, and cell phone, has been seized and examined. Several videos showed the illicit activities, including one video of Mirasol installing a camera in a guest stateroom.

Mirasol’s actions were reported to Homeland Security by the cruise line. His employment has been terminated, and he was turned over to authorities as soon as the ship docked.

“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,” a statement from Royal Caribbean said.

Further investigation has shown that Mirasol began working on Symphony of the Seas in December 2023, but no details have been released about how many staterooms may be impacted by his actions, or whether or not video was obtained from multiple sailings.

Mirasol now faces seven different charges and remains booked in the Broward County Jail without bond.

The 228,081-gross-ton, Symphony of the Seas is currently homeported from Fort Lauderdale, offering a mix of Southern Caribbean and Western Caribbean sailings. In May, the ship will reposition to New Jersey to offer Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean cruises for the summer, before moving to Miami in November to resume varied Caribbean itineraries.

The Oasis-class ship can welcome 5,518 guests at double occupancy, or as many as 6,680 passengers when fully booked with all berths filled. Also onboard are approximately 2,200 international crew members. This incident has not impacted Symphony of the Seas‘ sailings or itineraries in any way.

Other Camera Incidents

This is not the first time hidden cameras have been reported aboard a cruise ship. In May 2023, a guest aboard Harmony of the Seas was arrested for placing a hidden camera in one of the ship’s public unisex restrooms.

In 2017, a family aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s now-retired Carnival Fantasy found a hidden camera near their stateroom television.

While the vast majority of cruise ship employees are outstanding individuals with strong work ethics, it is unfortunate that – just like in any job position – there are occasionally individuals who behave inappropriately, even criminally.

Cruise guests can protect themselves by remaining vigilant about their surroundings and inspecting their staterooms as soon as they arrive for their vacation, ensuring there are no suspicious cables, lenses, or other equipment – especially focused on beds or in bathrooms. Anything uncertain should immediately be reported to ship’s security or Guest Services.

Read Also: Cruise Passenger Goes Viral for Cabin Safety Tips

While not everyone may feel the need to take safety tips to the extreme by blockading the door or taking other over-the-top steps, it is always wise to be cautious and remain careful when traveling, whether on a cruise or on land.