One man couldn’t resist the call of the Alaska cruise season – and was willing to break the law to get onboard. Now, his alleged crimes are catching up to him.

Enrico Ronquillo, a citizen of the Philippines who has legally been living in the US, has been indicted on charges of stealing the identity of an actual US citizen and impersonating them in order to embark on a cruise to Alaska.

The 37-year-old used a fraudulent California’s driver’s license and California birth certificate in order to gain access to the ship and while onboard from May 11-14, 2025.

He also allegedly created a fraudulent IRS Form W-9 using the same victim’s personal information – which is a form used to request a Taxpayer Identification Number.

It’s not clear which cruise ship the accused was sailing on or how his misdeeds were caught – but the US District Attorney for Alaska will be prosecuting him.

“Ronquillo is charged with one count of false impersonation of a citizen of the US, one count of making and using a false document, and two counts of aggravated identity theft,” reads a press release from the US Attorney’s Office in Alaska.

“The defendant will make his initial court appearance on a later date before a US Magistrate Judge of the US District Court for the District of Alaska,” the release continued.

If Ronquillo is found guilty, he faces a minimum of two years in prison for both of the “aggravated identity theft” charges and an additional five years and a $250,000 fee for the other charges.

It’s unclear what motivated the accused to steal an identity in order to cruise – as people from around the world are able to embark on sailings with no issue.

Philippine nationals normally just need a valid passport and a visa (depending on their destination) in order to travel – although his specific circumstances are unknown.

More Passengers Under Arrest

Lately, Alaska seems like a hot spot for naughty cruise passengers – with another guest arrested not long ago in Ketchikan, Alaska, on June 12, 2025.

As cruise ships are legally considered ports of entry, routine background checks are often conducted as part of the ID verification process – and active warrants can and do pop up.

This time, a wanted woman named Karen Bryan – who had an outstanding warrant – was flagged while attempting to re-board her cruise ship.

She was taken into custody on the spot and will be extradited back to Laramie, Wyoming – where she is accused of embezzling money from a local church.

“Our deputies are responsible for picking up wanted fugitives throughout the United States. There was one person who was wanted her locally for allegedly embezzling thousands of dollars from a church,” Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak said in a statement.

“She was contacted by law enforcement in Alaska as she was boarding a cruise ship, and has been arrested,” Kozak added.

Read Also: 15 Most Annoying Things People Do on Cruises

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a couple was arrested in Ibiza, Spain, for trying to avoid paying a hefty bar tab they had racked up while onboard.

The unidentified couple were arrested by the Spanish National Police after essentially trying to dine and dash – or in this case, disembarking really quickly to try to avoid settling their account.

Their total unpaid bill was for €3,196 (approximately $3,630 USD) – and it’s not clear how long their sailing was or which cruise ship they had come from.

However, there is no reason to let your onboard purchases exceed what you can (or are willing to) pay – as it’s easy to keep track of your account status in the cruise line apps, by visiting guest services, and often by checking your folio on your stateroom TV.

For Jewish young adults, the opportunity to visit Israel and see the land of their history and heritage is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With the ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel that began on Friday, June 13, 2025, that opportunity has quickly turned frightening.

Thanks to the compassionate intervention of a Mano Maritime cruise ship, Crown Iris, roughly 1,500 young adults have been safely evacuated in a cooperative venture that will bring them safely home.

According to the Independent, the youth – between the ages of 18 and 26 – were on a “heritage trip” with Birthright Israel, a not-for-profit organization that provides free 10-day trips to Jewish youth.

Crown Iris was quickly secured to use for the evacuation of the youth from Ashdod Port, south of Tel Aviv, to Cyprus, under escort by the Israeli navy.

“All participants are safe, currently located near secure zones and shelters, and are being closely cared for by the operational teams and staff on the ground,” Birthright Israel confirmed before the evacuation.

“We remain in constant contact with Israeli security authorities and are taking every necessary precaution to prioritize participant safety and well-being.”

Crown Iris arrived in Cyprus on Tuesday, June 17, without incident during the 13-hour trip. Florida governor Ron DeSantis has chartered four planes to further evacuate the US participants to Tampa, Florida. From there, they will more easily be able to return home.

“This was a complex and emotional operation, carried out under immense pressure, and we are proud to have brought 1,500 young adults safely to Cyprus. Our team continues to work around the clock to secure solutions for the remaining participants still in Israel,” said Gidi Mark, CEO of Birthright Israel.

While 1,500 young adults have now been safely evacuated, there are still nearly 1,300 trip participants still in Israel as tensions continue.

Crown Iris debuted in 1992 as Royal Majesty for the now-defunct Majesty Cruise Line. Cruise enthusiasts might better remember the ship as Norwegian Majesty with Norwegian Cruise Line from 1997-2009.

The ship has remained in service in the years since, moving to different cruise lines through a variety of transactions. The vessel was acquired by Mano Maritime in 2018.

Cruise Ships and Humanitarian Operations

This is not the first time that cruise ships have been pressed into service for humanitarian missions. While most cruise passengers are aware that ships will rescue refugees at sea, larger operations are not uncommon.

In May 2024, Carnival Splendor answered a call for help to bring a stranded group home to Australia from Vanuatu when air operations ceased to the island amid political unrest.

P&O Cruises Australia had engaged in a similar rescue sailing for young Australian Rotary members and their chaperones stranded on a volunteer mission in Vanuatu just days earlier.

In February 2023, Gemini of Miray Cruises served as a temporary refugee shelter following a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey.

In April 2022, Holland America Line’s Volendam offered temporary housing to Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands for several months. At that time, the vessel was still out of service as part of the pandemic industry shutdown.

Read Also: Cruise Ship Lifeboats – Are There Enough and What You Might Not Know!

It doesn’t always have to be a large group or a global situation for cruise lines to offer assistance, however.

In May 2022, a family was stranded in Aruba when their autistic son had a sensory episode and was denied boarding on their return flight to the United States.

Carnival Cruise Line stepped in for the unfortunate and troubling situation, and brought two members of the family home on Carnival Horizon during the ship’s scheduled A-B-C cruise. The rest of the family had been able to fly home earlier.