
Plenty of slot machines, few kids: Onboard the first ship to depart the US in more than 15 months
CNN
Celebrity Edge is out on the ocean, the first cruise ship to sail out of a United States port in more than 15 months since the Covid-19 panademic hit. CNN is along for the voyage and shares what the new "normal" is like.
Gulf of Mexico (CNN) — The usual embarkation day boarding rush didn't happen. There are no lines at the buffet. The casino's slot machines are on, but few passengers are playing them. During dinner service, the bottom floor of a multistory restaurant sits empty, save for one table reserved for media. There are plenty of lounge chairs available by the pool. These are just a few of the travel scenes playing out onboard the Celebrity Edge. The first cruise ship to sail out of a United States port in more than 15 months, the vessel departed from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, just after 6 p.m. Saturday, embarking on a seven-night voyage with ports of call in Mexico and the Bahamas.
The alleged drug traffickers killed by the US military in a strike on September 2 were heading to link up with another, larger vessel that was bound for Suriname — a small South American country east of Venezuela – the admiral who oversaw the operation told lawmakers on Thursday according to two sources with direct knowledge of his remarks.

The two men killed as they floated holding onto their capsized boat in a secondary strike against a suspected drug vessel in early September did not appear to have radio or other communications devices, the top military official overseeing the strike told lawmakers on Thursday, according to two sources with direct knowledge of his congressional briefings.











