Passengers on a cruise ship from the US have filed a lawsuit after a worker was convicted of installing secret cameras in guest rooms.

Four minors and 15 other passengers who sailed on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Sea are suing the cruise line and a former employee for placing hidden cameras in their guest rooms.

In August, Arvin Joseph Mirasol, a Filipino citizen and former Royal Caribbean crew member, was given a 30-year sentence in federal prison after admitting to creating child pornography.

The passengers, who were not named in the lawsuit and referred to by abbreviations, are mostly American citizens from various states, including New York, Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas, while several are from Canada.

A hidden camera in a bathroom on board a Miami-based cruise line, operated by Mirasol, has allegedly resulted in the victimization of up to 960 people, according to a class-action lawsuit filed against the company in October.

Spencer Aronfeld of Aronfeld Trial Lawyers, who represent the 19 cruise ship passengers, stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that this case is exceptionally rare as the pool of victims can consist of over 1,000 men, women, and children.

Mirasol, a stateroom attendant on a cruise line from December 2023 to February 2024, allegedly taped a video camera containing a memory card in the Plaintiffs' passenger cabin bathrooms and captured images of them while undressed and engaging in private activities without their knowledge or consent. He then uploaded these images to third parties and/or the world wide web, including the dark web.

Aronfeld stated that for individuals whose images were recorded, uploaded on the internet, and possibly sold on the dark web, this has resulted in significant emotional distress, sleepless nights, and tearful days.

Royal Caribbean should have anticipated sexual assaults on their cruise ships due to their prevalence, according to lawyers representing the alleged victims in a lawsuit.

In 2023, a total of 26 sexual assaults and rapes were reported during Royal Caribbean cruises, while in 2022, 22 such incidents were reported, according to the Secretary of Transportation.

The number of sexual assault allegations on cruise ships increased in 2023, with 131 sex crimes reported to the FBI on ships embarking and disembarking in the United States, compared to 87 in 2022, according to lawyers.

A hidden camera was discovered in a public bathroom on the top deck of Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas during a cruise that departed Miami on April 29, 2023, according to a lawsuit.

According to lawyers, more than 150 individuals, including 40 children, were caught on camera using the Royal Caribbean bathroom in various stages of undress until the hidden camera was discovered on May 1, 2023.

The lawsuit alleges that Royal Caribbean did not take enough precautions to prevent sexual assaults, including video voyeurism, on its cruise ships. Additionally, the lawsuit claims that the cruise line failed to inform passengers about these incidents.

Royal Caribbean is accused by lawyers of not warning its passengers about sexual assaults, including video voyeurism, on its cruise ships in order to avoid scaring away potential customers.

The alleged victims of Mirasol's crimes are suffering from severe emotional distress, which manifests physically, causing them to experience physical sickness, sweating, nausea, insomnia, dizziness, crying, and physical pain. Their attorneys wrote that the former cruise travelers live in constant fear, reasonably under the circumstances, that images of them undressed while engaging in private activities are regularly viewed by others and used for illicit purposes.

The alleged victims, represented by Aronfeld Trial Lawyers, are calling for a jury trial.

"Aronfeld stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that our objective is to thoroughly examine this case and make RCL responsible for not adequately vetting, hiring, supervising, and retaining Mr. Mirasol. We are confident that the jury will deliver a substantial verdict in favor of the victims."

Planet Chronicle Digital did not receive an immediate response from Royal Caribbean International when requested a comment.

Planet Chronicle Digital's Christina Coulter contributed to this report.