Court Upholds Celebrity Cruises’ Actions During Pandemic Crew Detention Case

MIAMI, Florida — A recent ruling by an appeals court affirmed the actions of Celebrity Cruises regarding the detention of crew members during the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision comes as a significant development in a case that began in 2020 when two Filipino crew members filed a lawsuit against the cruise line.

The lawsuit, initiated by Ryan Maglana and Francis Bugayong, accused Celebrity Cruises of false imprisonment and causing emotional distress. Both men were crew members aboard the Celebrity Millennium, which was docked off the coast, having completed its last voyage in Singapore just before the ship went into a layup period.

Initially, after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a no-sail order on March 14, 2020, all cruise operations from U.S. ports were suspended, leaving crew members unable to disembark. During this time, Maglana was accused of stealing alcohol from the ship’s bar, which resulted in his dismissal along with Bugayong. Due to travel restrictions imposed by the pandemic, they could not leave the vessel.

By May 2020, repatriation protocols began to develop, but isolation continued for many crew members. Maglana filed his lawsuit on May 21, just days before Celebrity Cruises arranged a flight to return approximately 200 Filipino crew members, including him and Bugayong, back to the Philippines.

This week, the appeals court upheld a previous decision dismissing the claims of false imprisonment and emotional distress, stating that Celebrity’s actions were not “outrageous” under the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic. Chief Judge William Prior noted in his opinion that while the plaintiffs faced difficulties, the cruise line was managing a complex repatriation process for thousands of crew members worldwide.

The ruling highlights the challenges faced by the cruise industry during the pandemic, which has seen a rise in lawsuits related to personal injury, employee dismissals, and other operational issues. Cruise lines maintain extensive contracts and dedicated legal teams to navigate such complicated matters.