According to a recent CNN report, Carnival Cruise Lines will will put out as much as $700 million to improve their services and equipment. The intent is to repair the cruise line’s severely damaged reputation caused by a string of highly-publicized mishaps and loss of customer confidence.

The upgrades will improve the ships’ power, safety procedures and firefighting equipment. Besides the Carnival named ships, the corporate brand includes Princess, Holland America, Cunard and Costa Cruises.

According to CNN, hot air balloon rides are going up again at Egypt's Luxor site. The popular tourist feature was closed down six weeks ago after a horrendous accident that resulted in the loss of 19 lives. The rides feature aerial views of the Great Pyramids and other historic sites.

While some tourist balloon companies are still shut down while investigations continue, others may now resume their flights. The government reports that more effective inspections, safety measures and crew training will greatly reduce the dangers in future flights. Additionally, passengers now must sign liability documents accepting the risk of balloon flights.

All right, we admit it. Seniors are forgetful. After we stuff our suitcases and check out of our hotel room, there seems to always be something we’ve left behind. Cellphone, laptop, dentures, socks, wristwatch, ring, favorite pair of slacks, important papers and so on.

Fear not! Everything will get back to you. More and more hotels now have chargerback.com, a website that quickly matches lost items with owners. When a hotel employee finds a left-behind doodad, it’s description and guest information is entered on the website form.

Guests who report matching descriptions on the website can zero in on the lost items. They can then pick them up on their next visit or pay a shipping and handling fee of about $10 to get them back through the mail. Of course, if you forgetfully (or deliberately) leave your traveling companion behind, that requires an entirely different set of rules.

There has been considerable speculation lately about American meatpackers and restaurants slipping horse meat into their menus without identifying it. Although horseflesh has been an acceptable food in many countries around the world, it is still frowned upon by most American diners.

Therefore, as a service to our traveling seniors who are against eating a Dobbinburger or Seabiscuit steak, here are ways to tell when you suspect the meat on your plate once ran at Churchill Downs. It may help the next time you’re traveling in France, Belgium or Italy. People there consider horse meat a delicacy, but it’s not for you.

1. Before you sit down, you exclaim, “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!” Then the waiter says, “Funny you should mention....”

2. When you try to cut into your flank steak, you hear a plaintively negative “Neigh”.
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3. Completing the horse meat dinner, you suddenly get up, whinny and run the mile in 1:34.

4. An hour after eating equus, you feel a sudden urge to watch a John Wayne movie.

5. You realize Hamlet asked the ultimate question about whether it was horse meat at Elsinore: “To be or not to be, that is the equestrian!”

(To our senior travelers: Hope the lame humor gives you a horse laugh!)