Riverboat Operator Bankrupt, Ceases Operations, Stiffing Small Businesses

American Queen Voyages, a major river cruise operator in the United States, has shut down due to financial unsustainability following the pandemic, leaving small business owners unpaid and over 500 employees terminated. The company has filed for bankruptcy, and while customers will be refunded through its insurer, travel agents and small businesses are unlikely to receive their missing commissions. The closure leaves a gap in the market for innovative river cruise operators to fill.