Crew members who said they were reportedly confronted with Minnesota Vikings players having a wild sex party with women last week on two charter boats cruising Lake Minnetonka met today with Hennepin County Sheriff's detectives who are investigating allegations of prostitution and lewd behavior.

Stephen Doyle, attorney for the company, Al & Alma's Supper Club and Charter Cruises in Mound, said that some crew members said they feared retaliation from some of the Vikings who were aboard the boats because they reported the incidents to authorities.

Doyle also said he contacted three top Vikings executives Monday to inform them of the crew's allegations and requested an internal inquiry. He said he supplied the Vikings executives with the names of players identified by crew members.

"They're frightened of repercussions from Vikings players," Doyle said of the crew members.

"Whether it's real or perceived ... These crew members were afraid for their safety. They're out in the middle of the lake, there were 250-pound, 300-pound men drinking heavily, having sex in public and behaving in a bizarre manner. They feared for their safety and still do. They said they had never seen or imagined anything close to it before."

Six of the eight crew members met for more than a hour today with the detectives, he said.

Last Thursday evening, at least 20 Vikings players boarded two yachts that became the scene of an out-of-control sex party with players and women, Doyle said.

Of those players, 17 have been identified by crew members as being on the boats.

The crews of both boats were ordered to return to the company's docks in Mound late that evening after captains on both boats spoke to each other and described similar scenes of sex and drinking unfolding on each boat, Doyle said.

He said that there were about 50 people on one of the boats and 40 people on other. The party was arranged, in part by Vikings player Fred Smoot, Doyle said.

During the cruise some players reportedly apologized to crew members for the sexual and aggressive behavior exhibited by their teammates, even taking steps to protect crew members from players who were angry at the employees.

"A couple crew members told me that some Vikings said they were sorry that they'd been exposed to this kind of behavior," Doyle said. "But I haven't heard anybody say that anybody tried to stop what was going on."

He said that none of the crew members he's spoken to so far have said they witnessed drugs being used by people on the boats.

Denials were in the air at Winter Park today, as the Vikings prepared to face the Bears in an NFC North matchup on Sunday in Chicago.

Running back Mewelde Moore said today that he was on board the boat but said media reports that characterized the trip as a sex party “got it all wrong, I guess.”

“Yeah, I was on the boat,” Moore said. “But I don’t know exactly what the problem is because nothing happened.”

Moore said he “didn’t see anything,” including sex acts.

“Sex? What are you talking about?” Moore said. “That’s crazy. Sex? Come on. Look, I’m engaged. So none of that. That will put me in trouble.”

Quarterback Daunte Culpepper, standing at his locker, was asked if he would say anything about the party and he replied, "I have no comment, sir.''

Cornerback Ralph Brown said, "I wasn't there," referring to being on one of the boats. When pressed further about whether he was aboard, he replied: "I'm not getting involved in that.''

Safety Darren Sharper was asked what he knew about the boat episode and if he was on one of the yachts. He declined to answer each question.

Head coach Mike Tice told reporters today that he's not happy about allegations, while refusing to comment or confirm any details.

"I fashion these young men as an extension of my family," Tice said. "So as a father and a family man, you can probably sense how I feel."

The accusations come on the heels of a two-day team retreat in which a code of conduct was at the forefront. As a result, the team is "on the same page" when it comes to standards for player conduct, Tice said. He said he had discussed the allegations with team owner Zygi Wilf this morning.

"Incidents like these can either blow a team apart or pull a team together. It's my job to pull the team together," Tice said. "Obviously, our job is to get ready for Chicago and allegations like these don't make it any simpler."

Tice also said he has struggled with disciplinary measures in the past. "There have been instances in the past where I feel like my hands have been tied by contracts or union guidelines," he said. But he reminded reporters that the allegations were as yet unproven.

Tice would say nothing specific about how many players were involved in the cruise, or who they were.