'We're prisoners': Crew on stricken 'endless cruise' claim passports have been seized, wages withheld and they're being forced to live in horrific conditions

When Villa Vie Residences' Odyssey ship announced it was suspending operations on Tuesday after running out of cash, around 200 passengers were ordered to pack up and move out.But while residents were left scrambling to find somewhere to go, a far more disturbing picture was allegedly unfolding behind the scenes – with crew members claiming they have been left effectively trapped aboard the vessel.Workers have alleged they are being held 'hostage', with their passports withheld, wages unpaid and living conditions so appalling they have compared life on board to being in prison.Some claim they have gone two months without receiving their salaries, while others say air conditioning has been switched off in crew cabins, sending temperatures soaring to a staggering 43C.There are also allegations of filthy brown water pouring from taps, barely edible food and workers being left without clean clothes.The claims have emerged in a series of anonymous online posts and accounts shared with Sail Away Magazine, painting a deeply troubling picture of life aboard the ship, which is currently docked in the Cambodian port city of Sihanoukville.One crew member, who did not want to reveal their identity, wrote: 'Crew currently being held hostage on Odyssey due to inability to obtain a visa to pass through Cambodia to airport to fly home. We are prisoners.' The Villa Vie Odyssey dream came to an end on Tuesday, but for crew members it seems the reality is more like a nightmare The ship docked in the crime-riddled Cambodian port city of Sihanoukville but an anonymous source has claimed crew are 'being held hostage' Cambodian Minister of Tourism Huot Hak, right, with captain of the ship Emanuele Giudice'No pay, limited AC, prison food, intolerable conditions aboard ship. Aren't being given their passports.' A separate source also claimed they had gone two months without being paid, alleging several colleagues were in the same position. They told Sail Away Magazine: 'I have not received my wages for September and October and it's other crew as well not just me.'The worker added: 'Lights have been turned off in some parts of the ship, air con has been turned off meaning in crew cabins it's getting as hot as 42-43C.'The allegations come as Villa Vie Residences founder Mikael Petterson has admitted the company is facing a financial breaking point. He told CBS News: 'We've borrowed money, we've stretched our payrolls as far as we can, and we're at a point where it's just at a breaking point where we need capitalisation.'Another anonymous crew member has also lifted the lid on what it was like to work aboard the vessel, describing an environment that sometimes left them frightened for their safety. They admitted 'the ship itself sometimes scared me' and they would pray they would arrive to the next destination safely.'This was how uncomfortable and worried I sometimes felt during our voyages,' they added.'And if you could only see the crew accommodations we had onboard, you would understand what I mean.'Water was another problem crew members apparently faced - with the supply allegedly being 'extremely dirty'.They said they had personally witnessed brown-coloured water coming from the taps, describing the quality as a 'serious concern'. Mealtimes were allegedly no better, with the worker describing the food served to crew as 'horrible': 'There were times when what was left over from the residents' meals was what we, the crew, had to eat.'Imagine working long hours and physically demanding shifts, only to be served food that makes you feel like you're being treated as an afterthought.' Apparently the female workers 'are going commando' on board due to the lack of clean clothesAside from 'dirty' water and a lack of proper food, crew were also apparently not paid on time.'On top of all that, we also experienced delayed salary payments on several occasions,' they claimed.Amidst the chaos, Mr Petterson said he felt like a 'villain'.'I feel awful,' he told The Telegraph. 'I'm the villain in the story, but I'm doing everything I can to support the residents on a solution.' He blamed soaring marine gas oil prices for the situation and revealed how the company had been paying around $600 (£450) or $700 (£530) per tonne at the start of the voyage.But by March, the price had shot up to nearly $2,000 (£1,500) as a result of the conflict in the Middle East. Mr Petterson added: 'I think we would have been absolutely fine, and we would have seen this through, if there was no Iran war.' The company even took to asking passengers for a loan to help fund the rising costs.Some 22 residents were approached for a collective loan of $2.2million (£1.6million), passenger Lynn Montoya told the Daily Mail, which the company said would be paid back monthly with interest by April 2027. 'We have not received any payments,' she said. 'On July 31, they told us we would get a payment in the next three days. But two days after we were told there was no money.' Meanwhile, another source claimed the water supply was often 'dirty'But despite already handing over millions, residents claim the company came back asking for even more money just months later – with some being forced to consider dipping further into their retirement savings. 'Residents started donating to keep us on our journey,' Mrs Montoya said. 'In September, the company asked for $1.5million and then $360,000 this past week while we've been stranded in Cambodia.' The couple believe the requests for money were strategic and came when the ship was docked at different ports, leaving the residents to feel vulnerable and 'coerced' into giving up their money. 'We felt manipulated and when that happened time after time, it began to wear us down and frustrate us,' Mrs Montoya, who sold the couple's house to fund the trip, said. 'We'd arrive at the port and six hours before we were meant to leave they would say, "Oh, we can't leave. We haven't got the money". 'Everybody then felt pressured to come up with these funds. We joked that we felt we were being held captive.'A statement on Villa Vie Residences' website reads: 'Extraordinary increases in fuel costs have placed our current operating model under unsustainable financial pressure. 'We are working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and temporary living arrangements, and are supporting residents, crew, and employees as we evaluate restructuring and recapitalization alternatives over the next 60 days.' The Daily Mail has approached Villa Vie Residences for comment.