Key Aspects:
- 47-year-old Daniel Ramirez was arrested at the Royal Caribbean cruise terminal in Miami on Friday, July 31, 2026.
- Ramirez is charged with felony battery after he allegedly assaulted a bartender at the Hard Rock Cafe at Bayside Marketplace.
- The attack took place on Sunday, July 26, but Ramirez was arrested by US Customs and Border Protection officers at the port.
Every cruise guest knows it’s a smart idea to fly or drive to a cruise homeport a few days before setting sail, just in case of flight cancellations or delays, traffic jams, or other problems that might cause a guest to miss their cruise. Many guests use that extra time to enjoy some sights at the homeport, getting their vacation off to an early start.
What isn’t a smart idea, however, is assaulting a bartender during that pre-cruise enjoyment, which can still cause a guest to miss their cruise.
That is what has happened to a 47-year-old Texas man, Daniel Ramirez, several days after he appeared to attack a bartender at the Hard Rock Cafe at Bayside Marketplace in Miami. The Hard Rock Cafe is less than a mile from the cruise port and is a popular spot for cruise guests to visit before or after their sailings.
According to 7 News, Ramirez and his family were at the Hard Rock Cafe on Sunday evening, July 26, 2026. A female bartender, who has asked not to be identified, noticed Ramirez at a serving area eating fruit slices intended as drink garnishes.
Ramirez allegedly swore at the bartender when she asked him to stop, she said, then complained to her manager that he was a veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder and that no woman should speak to him that way.
Shortly after the first confrontation, the two interacted again, and at that time, Ramirez purportedly shoved the bartender to the ground. She got up and attempted to photograph him, but he then knocked her phone from her hand and seemed to grab her and shove her to the ground a second time, which caused her to lose consciousness.
The attack was confirmed through surveillance video and the bartender suffered a broken tooth and a concussion.
Suspect Arrested at Port Before Cruise
Ramirez was not arrested for several days, but was found by US Customs and Border Protection officers as he attempted to board a Royal Caribbean cruise on Friday, July 31. While Royal Caribbean has not made a statement on the incident, Wonder of the Seas was the only one of the line’s ships in port that day.
The Oasis-class ship was beginning a 3-night weekend sailing with visits to Perfect Day at CocoCay as well as Nassau. There was no reported delay to the ship’s departure from the Sunshine State.
Instead of setting sail aboard the 5,734-guest ship, the arrest report shows Ramirez has been charged with felony battery with a $2,500 bond and was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center just after 10 a.m. on Friday.
Is the Cruise Line Part of the Investigation?
Royal Caribbean is not involved in the arrest or incident in any way. It is not unusual, however, for local authorities to make arrests at cruise ports as guests’ identities are confirmed during check-in or debarkation processing.
Cruise Hive reported recently on six different guests arrested in a single day at Port Canaveral for various charges, including probation violations and other charges.
As one of the busiest passenger cruise ports in the world, it’s not surprising that there are regular arrests at PortMiami. Cruise guests have been arrested for suspected credit card fraud, attempted narcotics smuggling, defaulting on child support, and other charges.
Cruise lines cooperate fully with authorities during such incidents even if the guests never actually boarded a cruise ship.
