A Wilson, North Carolina family’s 12-night Royal Caribbean cruise has turned into a nightmare after they say staff on the Vision of the Seas not only failed to protect them, but protected the man who allegedly attacked a female passenger — a mother traveling with her daughter and grandmother.
Amber Miller went public on November 8, claiming her mother was sexually assaulted on Day 6 of the cruise after stepping off an elevator. According to Miller’s Facebook post, a man grabbed her mother, forced himself on her, and began kissing her against her will as she struggled to get free.
“She eventually managed to escape and ran to her cabin in a panic,” Amber wrote.
The family says they immediately reported the attack to ship security, gave full statements, and later learned from security that the surveillance footage confirmed the assault. The attacker had been identified and questioned.
But instead of taking action, Amber says the response they got was:
“He promised he won’t do it again.”
Royal Caribbean allegedly refused to remove the man from the ship or alert other passengers. When Amber demanded to know who the attacker was so they could avoid him, she says they were told his identity was confidential.
“They told me, ‘Your safety is our number one priority,’ while refusing to even tell us who the attacker is,” Amber wrote.
For the next several days, the family says the alleged attacker walked freely around the ship, eating and drinking while they remained terrified to leave their cabin.
“He knows who we are, that we reported him, and that Royal Caribbean let him off with a warning,” Amber said.
On Sunday, November 9, Amber shared a second post titled “READER BEWARE.” She said the following morning, Royal Caribbean staff — including the Staff Captain (second in command), Head of Security, and Guest Services — called them in for what she expected to be a follow-up meeting. Instead, she says, it turned into a full-blown ambush.
Amber claims the officials treated her mother like a criminal, asking inappropriate questions like:
“They asked how much she had to drink?”
“Maybe you don’t want to talk about what really happened because your daughter is here.”
She says her mother was reduced to tears after being accused of “wanting it.”
“My mother — who was grabbed, held, and kissed against her will — was accused of inviting it,” Amber wrote. “She broke down sobbing while they sat there cold, smug, and unbothered.”
When Amber defended her mother, she says the Staff Captain snapped, “Why are you even talking? You’re not her lawyer.”
That’s when Amber realized this wasn’t a misunderstanding — it was intentional intimidation and victim-blaming.
“There was an attack. There is evidence. There is a victim who deserves dignity, not degradation,” she said.
Amber alleges Royal Caribbean’s leadership denied the assault ever happened, despite the reported existence of video footage confirming it.
“To hear a man in authority say, ‘Who even said the alleged attack took place?’ — when there’s video and an identified attacker — is absolutely unconscionable,” she wrote.
She now believes the company’s actions were not just negligent but a deliberate attempt to silence and discredit them.
