The American Queen Steamboat Co., which operates the American Empress cruise ship on the Columbia River, notified multiple state governments in July that it planned to lay off up to 250 employees starting in September.
In a July notice sent to Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the company stated that the layoffs would include staff on the Empress and the American Queen, which operates on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.
The company’s website states that all of its ships, including the Empress, have suspended operations through the end of the year. In a statement Wednesday, the company said looks forward to “welcoming back our guests to the American Empress in a safe and responsible way in 2021.”
