Cruise Ship Steward Assaults Passenger After Leaving Bizarre ‘Towel Cake’ Surprise
It was supposed to be a relaxing birthday cruise through international waters. But instead, a 61-year-old American tourist endured a terrifying and traumatic experience aboard the Royal Princess. Fernando Saises, a long-serving stateroom steward with Princess Cruise Lines, used his staff access to sneak into the woman’s cabin under the pretense of a birthday gift. Minutes after leaving a towel “cake” and a card, he returned and assaulted her.
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From Birthday Cake to Assault
Saises, a 20-year employee of Princess Cruises, first told the passenger he had a surprise for her birthday. Days later, she came back to her room to find a towel sculpture shaped like a cake and a note reading, “Happy Birthday From Fernando!” Shortly after the passenger had entered her room, Saises used his staff swipe card to re-enter the cabin. According to court records, he grabbed the woman’s face and forcibly kissed her. She begged him to stop, but he returned again and continued the unwanted contact, groping her and making threats when she cried out.
The victim warned Saises that her friends were nearby, but he scoffed at the idea. He showed her a tracking device that displayed her friends’ locations, far from her stateroom. Sais finally left the room, claiming he received a message from another guest. The victim took the opportunity to escape through her balcony to seek help. The victim quickly reported the assault to ship security. Despite his claim that the contact was not “sexual,” Saises admitted entering her room uninvited and kissing her.
Cruise Staff Misused Access to Victimize Passenger
Security footage and swipe card data confirmed Saises had entered and exited the woman’s cabin multiple times over a 25-minute window. He was handed over to police once the Royal Princess docked in Melbourne on March 13. Authorities collected the victim’s clothing, CCTV footage, and a photo of the towel “cake” as evidence. Because the crime occurred in international waters, it posed legal complexities. Eventually, Victoria prosecuted the case under ACT law, due to the ship’s location near Jervis Bay at the time.
The Sentencing
The woman told the court the attack left her with anxiety and PTSD. She said she now avoids traveling far from home and fears celebrating her birthday ever again. Judge Daniel Holding acknowledged the emotional toll and scolded Saises for acting “to gratify your sexual desires without any consideration of the wellbeing of your victim.” He condemned the steward’s actions, calling them “disgraceful” and “serious and troubling.” He also criticized the abuse of trust and staff privileges. “People who travel on cruise ships are entitled to know the staff… are trustworthy,” he said.
On April 14, 2025, Saises pleaded guilty to committing an act of indecency in Melbourne County Court. Though the incident left his victim with post-traumatic stress and long-term emotional harm, the judge only gave Saises a six-month suspended sentence. He was fined $1,000 and must stay out of trouble for three years.
Saises’ career, once considered “esteemed,” ended in disgrace. The court heard he had met Princess Cruises’ performance standards, but the judge said his “crazy act of lust” destroyed his future and reputation.
