Q: We’ve been cruising for years, but are concerned with the new all-you-can-drink promotions some cruise lines now offer. We like our drinks, too, but don’t want to be on a ship with a bunch of uncontrolled drunks running around on a permanent Spring Break.

What’s your take on the deal?  M.B., Toronto, Canada

A: Royal Caribbean has just announced its Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas ships will offer passengers the opportunity to buy unlimited drinks. Other cruise lines have similar systems already in place. The cost ranges from $40 a day and up.

We haven’t yet heard any binge drinking horror stories happening under these plans. However, there are cruises notorious for loud, hard-drinking passengers. They traditionally include alumni reunions, college spring breaks and all-male corporate conferences.

Our advice is that before you book your next cruise, check with your online or hometown travel agency. Give specific instructions to be sure you don’t unknowingly find yourself aboard a ship of (drinking) fools.

In what seems like a poll with an obvious answer, the Gallop statisticians recently announced their findings. They report that residents of the Aloha State are the least stressed and happiest in the nation.

The implication is that the islands’ positive mood is passed on to tourists. This makes Hawaii, with its tropical climate, sparkling surf and sandy beaches one of the best world destinations for senior adventurers.

The Gallop study also lists West Virginians as the most stressed, with Rhode Island, Kentucky, Utah and Massachusetts close behind. We have a question. Didn’t those researchers spend any time on New York streets nor California freeways, where stress is too mild a word for the type of emotions happening there?

Therefore, if you feel stressed and need some time to calm down on a beautiful beach with palm trees waving above, consider visiting heavenly Hawaii in your next travel plans. For information, check it all out at www.gohawaii.com

We fear that Southwest, once our favorite laid-back economy airline, is slip-sliding into the nickel-diming mode of other airlines. The most recent example is that SW will no longer refund the fare of passengers who fail to be there for scheduled flights.

In the past, if you showed up late, there were ways to get around it. The SW airport staff would do their best let you board a later flight, or even get you on a rival airline flight. And it cost you nothing beyond the fare you paid for your original ticket.  

Under the new SW policy, if you miss your flight without adequate reason or prior contact, you may have to forfeit your fare. Flyers should be aware of the logical reason for the new SW rule. In these days of tightening budgets and high fuel prices, flights with empty seats represent lost income for airlines.

For more information, contact your favorite hometown or online travel agency, or go to www.southwest.com