Passenger Arrested After Alleged Indecent Act in Celebrity Cruise Sauna
Key Aspects:
A passenger was arrested after allegedly exposing himself to two teenagers aboard Celebrity Eclipse.
The man was arrested once the ship returned to Port Everglades.
He now faces two counts of exposure under Florida law.
A 39-year-old cruise passenger is facing criminal charges after authorities say he exposed himself and touched two teenagers in a sauna aboard a Celebrity Cruises ship, as reported by local news.
Michael Henry Mullis of Lutz, Florida, was arrested March 22, 2026, after Celebrity Eclipse returned to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.
Mullis faces two counts of exposure of sexual organs. Jail records show he was booked into the Broward County Main Jail, where bail was listed as $0 as it was a first offense.
The charges stem from an alleged incident that took place in a sauna area aboard the 121,878-gross-ton ship during the voyage.
Investigators say Mullis exposed himself and made inappropriate contact with two teenage girls in the sauna. The incident occurred while the vessel was still at sea, with the case referred to local authorities once the ship returned to South Florida.
The 2,852-passenger ship was returning from an 8-night Caribbean cruise that had departed Fort Lauderdale on March 14, 2026, and sailed to Basseterre, St. Kitts; St. Johns, Antigua; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic.
Authorities have not released the ages of the teenagers or additional details about the circumstances of the encounter, or when it took place. It is unclear if Mullis was confined onboard Celebrity Eclipse following the occurrence.
Under Florida law, exposure of sexual organs is considered a criminal offense when a person intentionally exposes themselves in a vulgar or indecent manner in public or in the presence of others. The Broward Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the case.
If Mullis is found guilty, the charge is treated as a first-degree misdemeanor with penalties of up to one year in jail, up to 12 months of probation, a fine of up to $1,000, and court costs and mandatory counseling or conditions imposed by the judge, especially since the incident involved minors.
Rare Cases of Cruise Arrests
Celebrity Eclipse is one of the larger ships in Celebrity Cruises, the high-end brand owned by Royal Caribbean Group.
Built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, the vessel entered service in 2010 as part of the cruise line’s Solstice-class offerings that include Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Silhouette, and Celebrity Reflection.
Like all cruise operators calling on US ports, Celebrity Cruises must comply with reporting requirements under the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act. This requires cruise lines to report certain crimes to federal authorities when voyages begin or end in the US.
In December 2023, a youth counselor on Celebrity Silhouette was charged with abusive sexual conduct of a minor under 12. The 35-year-old crew member was accused of touching a 6-year-old girl in the youth center. He later admitted to molesting at least four children.
Another Celebrity Cruises crew member, from Celebrity Reflection, was arrested in 2024 for child pornography.
While disturbing, serious crime aboard its ships is relatively rare in an industry that carries tens of millions of passengers globally each year.
Celebrity Cruises has not released a statement on the incident and Celebrity Eclipse is currently back at sea on a 6-night voyage to Grand Cayman and Mexico.
Passenger Arrested After Alleged Indecent Act in Celebrity Cruise Sauna