When taking a cruise vacation, being overwhelmed by excitement is a natural phenomenon and who can blame you! There are, however, a few things you will need to be aware of, especially if you are a first time cruiser. Everyone can do with a bit of help, because we can forget to pack essentials or not know quite what to expect on a cruise. You will find some essential cruise travel tips in this article that will be of great help when you travel.Tip #1 – Avoid the shore excursions however attractive the cheap prices may be, because the possibility of being stranded is very real. Cruise lines on the other hand investigate the companies that they contract with and it is always a safer bet to go with your travel agent’s recommendation.Tip #2 – When booking your cabin on a cruise ship make sure you ask for a chart showing the layout of the ship and book your cabin away from the laundry room and other gathering points like stairways and elevators. The noise levels when people gather in these areas can be quite disturbing to say nothing of being irritating.Tip #3 – A packing list is a must if you don’t want to forget something. You can research the internet for ideas on what to take and make your list accordingly. Always make sure to pack an extension cord as the cabin will probably only provide one outlet.Tip #4 – Take a carry on tote bag with you when boarding the ship and pack it with the essentials like some toiletries and a change of clothes, anything you will have immediate need for. The reason being that everyone needs to board and the ship set sail before the luggage is sent to the respective cabins and it could be a while.Tip #5 – Make sure you are given a map of the ship’s layout in the information pack by your travel agent. Cruise ships are really big vessels and it won’t be fun getting lost every time you try to make your way somewhere. Familiarizing your self with the layout and then actually taking a turn around the ship to get oriented is well worth the effort.Tip #6 – While you may be tempted to take your best jewelry with you on the cruise, believe me it is not a good idea. It is recommended that you take one good set and nothing more to wear to the Captain’s dinner and any shows you will attend; leave the rest safe in your bank locker. Unless there is someone occupying your house while you are gone, home safes aren’t really a safe bet.Tip #7 – Don’t go slamming doors or shouting out good nights at the top of your voice at some early morning hour. True, you are in high spirits after a night of fun and frolic but your neighbors may be asleep. Cruise etiquette is an important part of the cruise travel tips.
How to Get Your Business or Clients in Google News Using Press Release Distribution
Many people ask how they can get their businesses news listed in Google News. To many it seems an attractive way of generating traffic and hits to your website by announcing a new product or service from your business. Press release distribution is the only way of getting your content listed.
Online business owners are growing more aware of the effects and importance of using Google News, so much that some companies are willing to spend hundreds of dollars on writing and distribution packages
For starters, you cant simply send a press release to Google themselves. People often get confused as to how the system works. Basically Google News works by several thousand third party news sources. These sites are thoroughly inspected before they are allowed to become a source.
So you have to choose a website or service which has the capabilities to send your content to Google News. Once it passes the sites approval process the content will by indexed within minutes.
The next step is to make sure your press release or news story will get approved by an official distribution website. Make sure you write a news worthy story. Don’t make it an obvious promotional piece. Include facts about the specific news. Also make sure that it has not been published anywhere else online because it wont enter Google News. It does not have to be thousands of words long either. Everything lies in the content that you focus onto and write efficiently.
Once it gets listed in Google News you will see the following effects
- A possible surge in traffic
- New backlinks to your websites giving better authority with search engines
- Indexed in Google Search within Minutes
- Press release sent to people set up to receive Google Alerts for related keywords
- Worldwide exposure
The importance of Press Release Distribution might wander your thoughts on to choosing the best firm and so it is natural that you will think about going in for the costliest option. Do you think you will get the best service if this is the step that you put head? Is there any guarantee on this? Yes, it is of course true that with appropriate and professional approach you can take your business to greater heights. At the same time, it is important to choose wisely, so that you get the perfect and right service provider at affordable rates giving you the outcome exceeding your expectations.
Employment Eligibility Verification in a Nutshell
Okay, so it is going to be a BIG nutshell!Every employer needs to think carefully about how they intend to comply with the requirements of IRCA; Employer Sanctions laws are complex, and you could be making costly mistakes without even knowing it. Non-compliance with Form I-9 requirements will result in civil penalties of $110-$1,100 per offense. Each Form I-9 that is not properly completed, stored, maintained/updated, and purged appropriately is counted as a separate offense so fines add up quickly!Compounding the problem is ICE can request all forms for both current employees and all previous employees going back 3 years. Employers who are found to have hired unauthorized workers face fines of $275 – $ 11,000 per incident and a possible prison term of 6 months! Immigration related discrimination carries civil penalties of $250 – $10,000 per incident.And it gets even more complicated! Many U.S. states have enacted additional requirements, some mandating the use of E-Verify, some requiring the completion of additional State issued forms, and most stepping up enforcement and work site inspections.Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), enacted in 1952:(1) The employer must not knowingly hire or continue to employee any person who is not authorized to work in the U.S. An employer may be liable if he/she knows or should have known that an employee is not authorized to work in the United States. (2) The employer must verify the eligibility of every person hired. The verification requirement applies to EVERY PERSON HIRED.Two major amendments to INA effect employers directly:1. The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), also known as the Employer Sanctions Act, was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. This Act makes it illegal for any employer to knowingly hire or recruit persons who do not have authority to work in the United States. The Employer Sanctions Act seeks to discourage illegal immigration by making it difficult for immigrants to find work in the U.S. without proper documentation. IRCA places the responsibility of employment verification solely on the employer. As part of this Act, the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification was introduced. The law makes it mandatory for every employer to screen every new hire for work authorization by accurately completing the Form I-9. The form serves as proof that an employer has verified both the identity and work authorization of the people they have hired.2. The Immigration Act of 1990, includes provisions to prevent document fraud and to prevent discrimination. To discourage document fraud, the Act says a persons cannot knowingly forge, alter or fake documents to satisfy the requirements of U.S. Immigration law. A person cannot use, attempt to use, possess, accept or provide a forged, altered or fake document. To prevent discrimination, the Immigration Act states that employers with 4 or more employees cannot discriminate in hiring, firing, or recruiting based on an individuals national origin or citizenship status. An employer must be be absolutely uniform in conducting the employment authorization verification process to avoid charges of discrimination.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is responsible for enforcing immigration laws. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is the investigative branch of DHS. ICE investigates employers to ensure their compliance with Employer Sanctions laws and has the authority to inspect an employers Forms I-9 at any time. Penalties for violating Employer Sanctions laws include fines and criminal sanctions.On April 30, 2009 ICE issued the following statement:Effective immediately, ICE will focus its resources in the enforcement program on the criminal prosecution of employers who knowingly hire illegal workers in order to target the root cause of illegal immigration. Immigration law remains a hot topic with the current administration and in the press. Increased national attention has brought new focus to laws that have gone largely unenforced for over 20 years, catching many employers off guard and unprepared for ICE inspections. Even if your company is fully committed to Form I 9 compliance, Employer Sanctions laws are complex and confusing. Enlisting an expert to manage this complicated process is the best choice for many employers.