Ex-Employee: Palm Beach Princess Crew Trapped On Ship (WPBF-FL)

Ex-Employee: Palm Beach Princess Crew Trapped On Ship
Former Employee Says Crew Members Just Want To Be Paid, Given Ticket Home
POSTED: 9:10 am EST February 17, 2010

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. -- Some crew members of the Palm Beach Princess are being held captive on the now-docked day-cruise casino ship, a former employee told WPBF 25 News on Tuesday.

The financially strapped ship has suspended service and remains docked at the Port of Palm Beach.

But former employee Heather Dahlberg said the crew members, comprised mostly of illegal immigrants, are trapped on the ship in fear of being deported.

"You have a group of people on the ship who cannot get off," Dahlberg said. "They are in shut down. They cannot leave. They cannot do anything -- cannot go shopping, buy anything -- and they're being treated unfairly. All they want is to be paid their money, to be given their plane ticket home and they will be very glad to leave."

Late Tuesday afternoon, 10 foreign workers were removed from the ship by immigration officers.

The owners of the Palm Beach Princess said cruises will resume upon arrival of a new ship.