writ in Bermuda against Celebrity Cruises.

Also named in the action are Apollo Caterers and their employee Arturo Campignoti, who committed the assault.

Yesterday Celebrity Cruises -- which owns Meridian and is represented locally by Meyer Agencies -- were said to be looking into the suit.

Vice-president of operations at Meyer Agencies, Capt. John Moore, said: "The principals are not aware of the writ being filed in Bermuda.

"They are now having their legal people look into the matter.'' A suit relating to the assault has already been filed in United States District Court in New York State.

In November, 1995, ship's barman Campignoti received a nine-month jail term for sexually assaulting two female passengers on the Meridian , one of them a 12-year-old, while the liner was at Dockyard. He had denied the offences.

Campignoti, who had been sitting on the 12-year-old's bed, was caught after being chased by the victim's brother.

The court heard the 38-year-old Honduran broke into the victims' cabins while they slept.

The assaults, involving touching, occurred in the morning of August 3, 1995.

Acting Magistrate Kenneth Brown said Campignoti gave a "rambling account'' of his movements that night and was not a convincing witness.

The writ against Celebrity was entered in the Supreme Court register on May 30.

The plaintiffs are listed under pseudonyms, with the victim identified as Elizabeth Doe -- described as an infant under 14 -- her mother named as Linda Doe and the other family members referred to as Dennis Doe and Sean Doe.

Handling the writ locally is lawyer Kim Wilson, from Marshall and Company. She declined to comment.

Marshall and Company is believed to be acting as agent for one of the American law firms involved in the action.