On-board activities to do on cruise sea days

Posted on 8:00am Tuesday 31st Jul 2018

If you’re worrying that you might be bored on a cruise ship, especially on sea days, think again. Cruise ships are humungous. They are like their own town or even mini city! Whilst much of the excitement of a cruise is reaching the next destination, you should also make the most of sea days and not wish them away. Also known as ‘cruising or ‘at sea’, a sea day is quite literally when you are at sea for the day and you do not stop at a port. So sit back, relax and enjoy the open waters or take part in one of the many on-board activities.

Gong on a cruise is a brilliant idea for a family holiday. It’s a brilliant way to please both adults and kids alike with numerous kid-friendly activities on the ship and a mix of sightseeing for the adults too. Many ships have plenty of kids clubs and entertainment to keep them entertained. Some even have night nurseries for younger children so the parents can enjoy a date night or two. If you are considering booking a cruise holiday then take a look at Bolsover for the best cruise deals and offers.

You may be wondering about the different ways you can spend time when on a cruise, especially when on a sea day or if you’re looking for things to keep you occupied before you arrive at your next destination. Behold, here is a list of many of the ways to enjoy your time aboard a cruise ship.

Photo by Brandon Nelson

Check out the schedule

Cruise ships are well prepared and resourced for sea days and they may even have a special schedule full of special entertainment and activities exclusively for these days. Make the most of it and join in with as much as possible, especially if it’s included.

Go to the pool

Sea days are the perfect day to have a pool day and to indulge in a little relaxation time. Make the most of the break from trekking around new places, soak up some rays or kick back on a lounger with an ice cold drink in your hand.

Work out

If you’ve been lying around and indulging a little too much then check out the fitness facilities and give your body a much needed workout. That way you can treat yourself to more holiday treats guilt free!

Enjoy the sea view

Take the time to truly appreciate the wonders of the open ocean and its magnificence. Find a peaceful spot and have time to be mindful appreciating the moment you are in and the amazing nature around you.

Catch a show

How about catching a show or going to the movies? That’s right – the large cruise companies will have their own theatres and cinemas! I told you, it’s like a mini town!

Place your bets

If you’ve some cash to splash then pop to the casino and try your luck and winning more!

Go thrill seeking

There are even some cruise ships with theme park style rides on board for those of us who love an adrenaline rush! You can start ticking off things on your bucket list whilst on-board. Why not?!

Read a book

If exhilaration is not on your agenda then use the time to get through a chunk of your reading list. With so much to see and do both on and off the ship, it may be hard to find a moment to read your stack of holiday reads.

Research your next stop

If you really can’t wait for the next port stop, then use the time wisely to plan what you’ll do once you arrive. Research the area and plan your schedule.

Have a spa day

Cruise ships have the most amazing spas and I don’t think any other spas in the world can compete with their setting. Peaceful real sea views passing you by as you stare out of the windows. Bliss!

As you’ll begin to realise there is simply no time to be board on a cruise ship! They are not simply a boat hotel, but they’re jam packed with ways to entertain you, teach you new things and even thrill you! But if you want to kick back, relax and take it easy then there are plenty of spaces and spas to accommodate this desire too.

Collaboration

Money making blogger interview with Caitlin of Real Mom Recs

Posted on 12:00pm Monday 30th Jul 2018

Welcome to my Money Making Blogger interview series where I interview bloggers who are making money from their blogs!

A new post every Monday at 12pm from a money making blogger sharing their experience and advice.

I've been a full time blogger officially since May 2017. For one year before this I made a part time wage from my blog and worked a part time job. I started blogging in April 2013 and never even realised I could make a real living from my blog and thought it was just a hobby. So for the first three years I didn't make any money from my blog.

Before properly monetizing my blog I did have a few opportunities land in my inbox which I politely declined as I wasn't really sure what they were. Then I stumbled upon some blogger income reports and realised there was some real money to be made. I’ve never looked back and I started collaborating with brands and putting a value on my time and worth, instead of accepting unpaid collaborations. I now make a full time living from my blog and I want you to realise you can do this too, if you want to.

I get to write every day and make money by doing what I love. It’s amazing and still amazes me each day, even two years into making money from my website. It’s not without a lot of hard work though, so don’t be fooled into thinking you simply set up a website and voila, income starts rolling in. If only! I work 30-40 hours per week currently and my blog is my life!

In this series I am going to interview other bloggers who also make money from their blogs to hopefully inspire people to start a blog if they wish or to make that leap to monetizing content. I also find it so interesting to learn what other bloggers are up to and even us full time bloggers can learn from each other and inspire one another.

Hello, please introduce yourself and your money making blog.

My name is Caitlin and I have a parenting blog called Real Mom Recs. I'm a mom of 4, so I thought I could write a lot about babies and kids based on my experience. My blog covers a lot of topics from pregnancy and baby names to mom humor and family travel.

How long have you been blogging for?

I've been blogging for just over a year now.

When did you begin to monetize and how do you make money?

I started with Amazon Affiliates and Google Adsense right from the start. With such low traffic in the beginning, those didn't make me much. I probably earned $10 per month for the first 6 months or so, which didn't even cover the expenses for my site. As my traffic grew, I was able to switch to Mediavine as my ad network in month 10. This is when it all changed for me! I started earning in a day what used to take a month with Adsense. I added some better affiliates related to my niche that paid much better than Amazon. Brands started to notice me and I got offered more regular sponsored posts.

What sort of income do you make from your blog each month? Pocket money, part time, full time or feel free to share the figure.

I make a solid part time income right now from my blog and I definitely see the potential to make a full time income by the end of the year.

What steps did you take in the beginning to monetize your blog?

In the beginning, I took a lot of MISSTEPS to monetize my blog. I thought you could just throw a bunch of Amazon links in a post and make money. Eventually I started to learn that giving your readers something they're looking for, as well as being authentic, will get you much farther in the long run.

Has it been an easy process?

Yes and no. On the one hand, it took almost 10 months of pouring my heart and soul (and every second of free time) into this blog before seeing any real profit. I would have made much more money working a minimum wage job during that time! On the other hand, I started with zero technical knowledge and no writing experience. If I can make money doing this, ANYONE can! So while I wouldn't say it was easy, it is completely doable.

What are the top three ways you make money from your blog?

Ads make up the bulk of my income, followed by sponsored posts. The third income source is affiliate marketing.

What is your favourite way to make money from your blog?

Probably ads because it's completely passive on my part. You set them up once and then don't have to think much about it again.

How much do you really work on your blog? Be honest.

In the beginning I worked on it way too much. It's hard to break away because there is always more work to be done and no set schedule telling you when to clock out. But it's so easy to burn out if you're staying up late and spending all your weekends glued to your computer. I've since found a better balance, working around 12-15 hours per week at times that work best for my family.

What are your aims for your blog in the future?

I envision having a team of writers all contributing to my blog in the future. I'm also preparing to launch a second blog which will focus on helping other Mom bloggers monetize their blogs.

If someone is totally new to blogging, what would you advise they concentrate on to help make their blog a money making success?

If you focus on providing value to your readers (answering their questions, solving their problems, or inspiring them in some way) you can't go wrong. I see so many bloggers making the mistake of thinking a Pinterest strategy or number of social media followers is what they need to make money. But none of that will help if you aren't giving people a reason to click.

Are there any drawbacks to running a money making blog?

Once you start making money, the focus of your blog will shift. It's less about your creativity and more about delivering on what your audience wants. There's also the added pressure of earning the same or more than what you earned last month. No one wants to see their blog plateau or slide down, we all want growth! So that takes some of the fun out of it.

What’s the best thing about blogging for an income?

It's the best way that I've found to be able to stay home with my kids and still feel like I'm "contributing". Blogging has also allowed me to create something I can take pride in. It makes me feel like someone other than just Mommy.

Would you blog even if you couldn’t make money doing it?

Probably! The blog would look a bit different because I would write about what I want, not what my audience wants to read. But now that I've discovered writing as an outlet I don't think I'll ever stop.

Do you think blogging is here to stay?

Absolutely! As long as people look things up on the internet, they will need content creators to give them answers. Given how many internet users there are in the world, I truly feel there is room for ALL of us bloggers to be successful.

Thank you so much for taking part in my Money Making Blogger interview series and best of luck with your blog!

Helpful articles if you want to monetise your blog:
Make money from your blog with Awin affiliate marketing
Make money from your blog without Google ads
4 ways to find paid blog opportunities
How I save hours every week scheduling tweets with Social Oomph
How to improve your domain authority (DA)
The 5 ways I made £30000 money from home in 2017/2018
5 tried and tested ways to make money as a UK stay at home mum

Do you make money from your blog? Would you like to take part? Click here for the interview questions.

Free daily lotteries with cash prizes

Posted on 9:35pm Sunday 29th Jul 2018

As you know I love making money from home by blogging, reselling on eBay, my online fashion boutique, matched betting, and many other money making ventures. But did you know there are also ways to win money for free?

I take part in various free online lotteries each day. These are lotteries that cost nothing to enter and give away cash prizes every day for a few seconds of your time. With prizes of up to £500 it's absolutely worth those few seconds each day!

You’ve basically got nothing to lose, so you may as well sign up and give it a go. The only commitment is to check the sites each day to see if you are a winner. All these sites send a daily reminder email, so you don’t even have to remember yourself. You have to claim the prize on the day if you are the winner, so make sure you do check your emails or you could miss out.

How do they make their money for the cash prizes? From us visiting their sites every day giving them ad revenue.

I’ve not won anything yet, but for a few seconds of my time each day it’s worth checking. I’ve seen another blogger has won twice on one of the free lotteries!

Below are the lotteries I take part in and links to where you can sign up too. Some of them are referral links so I may get some extra points or something.

Free lotteries I take part in every day:

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DOBlotto

Your date of birth gets entered into a daily draw. £50 or more is given away each day. Sign up here: http://doblotto.com/r/5c268b

Pick My Postcode

Your postcode is entered into a daily draw. The main prize is usually around £500 every day. There are some smaller bonus draws too. Plus, every day you check an extra 1p is added to your prize fund. Sign up here: https://pickmypostcode.com/?ref=862218

Emoji Lottery

Emoji lottery is great fun! Pick five emojis and they’ll be entered into a daily draw. So far I’ve seen prizes from £5 to £20. Sign up here: https://emojilottery.com

The Street Lottery

Though it’s called The Street Lottery, it’s actually your username that is added to a pool from which winners are picked at random. Daily prizes are around £10. Sign up here: https://thestreetlottery.com?ref=6169

I’ll let you know if I have any winnings. Good luck!

Do I need terrorism insurance for my flat? The facts about terrorism insurance cover.

Posted on 9:15pm Sunday 29th Jul 2018

Whether you’re the director of a Residential Management Company (RMC), a landlord, freeholder or agent, if you own a block of flats, be it two flats or 200, you should seriously consider terrorism insurance as an add-on to your buildings insurance. If you own a single flat or maisonette then you’ll want to be clear on who owns the structure of the building and therefore whether you need to insure the building, or whether someone else owns it and they are responsible for any damage. Currently terrorism insurance is usually added on request so you will need to specifically add it on to your home insurance cover as an extra.

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Definition

The Reinsurance (Acts of Terrorism) Act 1993 defines terrorism as “acts of persons acting on behalf of, or in connection with, any organisation which carries out activities directed towards the overthrowing or influencing, by force or violence, of Her Majesty’s government in the United Kingdom or any other government de jure or de facto.”

Why you might need terrorism insurance

When reading the definition of terrorism you may not realise that you need to add it at all. It may seem like it will never apply to you and so you decline this vital cover. Or you may be tempted to skip it to save money. That could be a big mistake. Here are some reasons that you may require the cover:

It could be a requirement of a lease. Even if not mentioned specifically, there may be a requirement for an all-inclusive insurance.
If you have a mortgage then it may require the cover within the mortgage terms.
Although the building itself may never be a target, residents themselves could be terrorists. Bomb factories have been discovered in blocks of flats before.
You could be personally liable if you don’t take the cover. If you are a director of a RMC and do not provide adequate cover for your leaseholders and freeholders assets, then you could find yourself personally liable for any losses.

Why is it not included as standard for blocks of flats?

Whilst a normal residential household policy would tend to include terrorism insurance as standard, this is not the case for flats. A block of flats is classed as a commercial insurance risk which allows it to be an optional extra. As economic loss from terrorism can be vast it’s vital that insurance companies can sustain any high value claims from commercial property.

The Pool Reinsurance Company Limited

To cover the vast amount of money possibly needed to pay out insurance claims in the case of a terrorist attack on a block of flats a scheme called the Pool Reinsurance Company Limited, or Pool Re, was set up. Many insurance companies that offer this optional terrorism cover pay a premium to be a member of Pool Re. This provides the insurers with cover for any claims due to an act of terrorism and so they will be reimbursed the cost of any claims they pay under this act. This set up enables insurers to be able to offer this type of insurance and allows such buildings to be covered in the event of terrorism. If claims were so huge that Pool Re ran out of money, then funds would be lent to Pool Re by the UK Government.

Who provides terrorism cover?

Companies such as Deacon Insurance can offer this protection and will guide you through exactly what it is and why you need it. They offer a range of competitive insurance policies and can discuss your individual needs to find a suitable cover that’s right for you.

They say ‘At Deacon we offer a choice of competitive policies; one of which offers broader cover to include attacks on individuals in the block if, say, you have prominent figures living in the block for example. We will discuss your individual needs and recommend suitable cover for you. There is no extra administration for you as the insurers require only the Statement of Facts for the Blocks of Flats policy, which we already hold for existing customers.’

Blog Giveaway - Win a bird print purse from the Lylia Rose boutique

Posted on 3:30pm Sunday 29th Jul 2018

Welcome to my latest giveaway!

If you love fashion accessories, do pop over to my online fashion accessories boutique for a good browse where you'll find over 40 different printed scarf designs in stock, perfect all year round indoors and out! They are only £8 each and 2nd class UK delivery is free. They are perfect as gifts for her.

I did used to sell some other accessories and I'm giving the last of them away in my blog giveaways! I try to give an item away once per week so keep an eye on my blog and giveaway section.

Win this purse in my blog giveaway:

Don’t bin it!

I really hope you’ll love your new purse for years to come, but if you ever get bored of it, please don’t throw it away. Landfills are too full of things that can be reused, reworn and recycled. For inspiration on what to do with your worn out or unwanted clothes and textiles, please read my blog post: 13 ways to get rid of unwanted clothes (without binning them)

Enter here:

The full terms and conditions are below, but simply enter using one or more of the entry methods in the Rafflecopter widget below and remember, if you win your delivery address must be in the UK.

Check out my Giveaways section for more amazing prizes!

Suggestions of blog posts to read for one of the entry options:

The top 3 ways I made money from home in 2017
Get paid to test websites from home (£5 per 20 minutes)
Get paid doing simple tasks from your phone with Streetbees
I’ve made £300 tax free cash from home in 2 weeks and you can too

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please pin me:

Term and Conditions:

There will be one winner

The prize is the item pictured above

The prize must be claimed within 28 days of the first winner's notification email being sent.

There is no cash alternative

There is no limit on the number of entries per person, follow the instructions to enable multiple entries

Winners will be notified within 28 days

The winner must claim their prize within 28 days or it will be forfeited

All entries must be received by the date and time specified

The winner will be picked at random by Rafflecopter & notified by email

Giveaways are open to the UK only

Read my UK lifestyle and money blog

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