Sailing on the Cheap

Going on a cruise can be downright expensive, but here are some tips to make it more affordable for you:

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• Sail on big ships. The bigger the ship, the more cabins to fill and the more deals to be found. Think of it as Las Vegas on the ocean. Those huge hotels have so many rooms to fill that even with some of them going for half price the regular rate, they are still making a ton of money...at least much more than they would make if those rooms were empty.
• Turn to Cruise Critic if you have ANY kind of questions about cruising or ships. They tell you everything from how to pick the right cabin for you to what kind of entertainment you'll look forward to on each ship. I love reading all the cruiser reviews of the ship I'll be sailing on and what they thought was good and not so good, plus what they thought of the excursions that were offered. Sadly, I also found more information on my ship here than I did on the actual cruiseline's website.

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•  Get the most out of your cruise, by not spending the whole time laying around by the pool. Your rate is mostly-inclusive, so the more you do, the further your money goes. See the shows, play mini-golf, go to the clubs and use the workout room. If it's included, try it out. You need to work off your buffet meals somehow. Besides, you went on vacation to see and do new things...and you can sit at home for free!
• Did you know that cabins located on different decks on cruise ships have different prices even though the room is exactly the same? You could save hundreds of pounds by just moving up or down a "floor"! Make sure you price compare cabins before making your final decision.
• Cruise in the off-season instead of peak times. There may be fewer choices of cruises to your desired destination, but there will also be fewer travelers, which means lower prices and less crowded ships. You might also be able to get some extra perks by booking when the cruise companies are not as busy and really want to fill cabins. Everyone likes freebies, like spa credits and drink coupons.

What are some of your tips for cruising on the cheap?

Get a Job Teaching in the UK to Travel in Europe

Traveling is almost never cheap, even when you don’t stray far from home. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to travel for extended periods of time and still be able to pay your bills? You can enjoy sightseeing and meeting new people and trying local foods and know that that your credit cards and cable will be taken care of while you’re gone. No, it’s not some new insurance plan, but a great website called TeacherHit.com that helps you find teaching jobs in Europe in order to travel and make money at the same time!

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I know I would love to get paid to travel and, essentially, that is how it works. You apply for jobs teaching English (and sometimes other subjects) in foreign countries. If hired, you will teach immersion classes like ESL for locals that want to learn English, so they can travel to the UK and North America or even be able to use it for business deals and more. English is a widely spoken language and can be very beneficial for people everywhere to know how to speak it.

Can I teach in my own country?

If you don’t feel comfortable just moving off to a foreign country to teach a language students don’t understand, that’s okay. You can get a job in the UK to get your feet wet first. Once you have more experience, you can apply for jobs all over Europe, including France, Germany, Italy and Turkey. Many jobs require you to have your teaching certificate (i.e TEFL, ESL or TESOL) but many don’t. They only ask that you have great communication skills, are reliable and have a flexible schedule.

ESL classes are usually held in the evening hours or on weekends, which means you have plenty of time to go out during the day to see your destination city. Not only that, but your students will gain just as much knowledge from you as you do them. There’s no better way to learn a new language than by totally immersing yourself in a different culture. In no time you’ll be learning new words and phrases, too!

Choose your own destination!

Have you been dying to learn Russian or German? Then apply for jobs that you could qualify for in those countries. If you already have teaching experience, great! You’ll have a lot more listings to choose from. If you don’t, you will still find plenty to send your resume/CV to. Spend your free time exploring Red Square and the rest of Moscow with money you earned teaching your native language to others hoping to learn it. You’ll benefit twice, because you’ll have the luxury of travel and learning how to speak a new language from those that have spoken it their whole life. They benefit the same. No one knows how to pronounce words and create sentences better than someone who is native to the country of the language spoken.

TeacherHit allows you to upload your resume or CV to your profile to let employers find YOU! If you want to actively search the open jobs, you can do so with no ads or annoying pop-ups and you can even be notified of new jobs by email. If you find a job posting that wouldn’t be a fit for you, but could be for a friend, you can easily share listings on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or by email. They have made it super simple to use and I highly recommend using TeacherHit to find teaching jobs in the UK and Europe, especially if you have a love of travel and want to meet, interact with and learn from foreigners. It’s definitely one of the best ways to gain life experience and job experience at the same time and a have fun doing it!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post brought to you by TeacherHit.com. If you’re interested in teaching abroad to travel also find them on Twitter and Google+.