Cruise holidays are becoming increasingly popular and there are many last minute cruises available for people looking for a luxury holiday in the sun. There are several cruise lines out there to choose from. Here are two of the best known:

P&O Cruises

P&O Cruises operate with seven cruise ships departing from Southampton to a wide range of destinations. This historic cruise line has been transporting passengers across the globe since 1844 and has a reputation as an industry expert. This popular cruise line blends high standards of safety with exceptional customer service with a strong emphasis on employing highly trained staff that can deliver outstanding service.

P&O Cruises for 2012 is offering some exceptional cruise deals. Leaving from Southampton one of the most popular routes is the Mediterranean cruise where people can enjoy the vibrancy and beauty of Greece, France, Italy and Spain. For something truly memorable cruises to Norway to the fjords will literally take your breath away with fantastic views of some of the world’s most stunning natural landmarks.

Princess Cruises

Another well-known cruise line is Princess Cruising which started out in 1965 taking passengers to Mexico. Now the cruise line is the third biggest globally and is rated for its advanced ships, high standards of customer service and fantastic choice of on-board facilities and entertainment.

Princess Cruises is known for their expertise in cruising across the globe and their fleet of 17 cruise ships offers a vast range of destinations. In 1977 Princess Cruises enjoyed celebrity status when one of its cruise ships, Pacific Princess, won the star role on ‘The Love Boat’, a TV series that was to become a worldwide hit. This popular series can still be seen today and it has been claimed that its success fuelled the growth of the cruise holiday industry.
Princess Cruises offer a wide range of last minute cruises for those looking for a quick getaway.

In today’s cash-strapped economy, it makes sense to become as savvy as possible about managing your personal finances. That goes for taking responsibility for what you spend and save and also becoming aware of the strong forces that are in play every time you go into a supermarket!

The fact is, as a consumer, you are constantly bombarded by the forces of marketing and advertising. Most of us have gone into a particular supermarket in response to something we’ve seen in the media, on an outdoor advertising board, or become aware of via a different marketing channel.

Once we enter the supermarket, the real psychology kicks in. Everything, from the minute we park up at the store, to when we leave with our bags, is designed to encourage us to part with as much of our cash as possible.

Retail psychologists are employed by supermarkets to analyse every aspect of the shopper’s experience, to understand their feelings, motivations and attitudes towards purchasing and gently manipulate variable environmental factors to encourage that purchase decision.

Firstly, the supermarket will be designed to make you linger. It won’t be logically laid out and products will frequently change around to force you to hunt them out and possibly spot new products to become tempted by instead.

In-store demonstrations are an example where supermarkets encourage shoppers to linger and engage with new products, to see examples, demos and tastings and pick up a new product in the process.

Shops place their most profitable items on the shelves where a customer’s eye naturally falls, so value ranges will tend to be on the bottom shelf where they are trickier to reach. You’ll need to reach or bend to get the best deals!

Supermarkets also know to assault the shopper’s senses as they go in to create a pleasant experience designed to help them spend. This will range from the smell of fresh bread wafted through the store, to the colourful displays, soft music and comfortable temperature. Free samples might be given out, to allow the shopper to taste or experience a small part of the product and decide to buy it.

Surprising additions are other ways that supermarkets engage customers by eliciting a response of joyful surprise, such as finding a new product line or interesting new product category.

This is one reason why supermarkets extended so widely into complementary and lifestyle lines such as clothing, home wares, electronics and more.

Good customer service is a genuine way in which stores will try to encourage customer loyalty. By offering friendly and helpful staff and till packers, the customer associates the shopping experience with speed, friendliness and convenience.

The store may also delay the customer more as they are paying. Whilst waiting in a queue there will usually be other lines to look at whilst lingering, such as magazines, sweets and personal items. These will frequently be picked up as an impulse buy.

At the purchase point, the customer service agent may prompt additional sales, such as signing a customer up to a reward scheme, mentioning a finance product or offering extras such as stamps.

Even after the sale is made, staff may be on hand to delay the customer with vouchers and other promotions for a return visit.

Certainly, the psychology behind shopping is very powerful and most customers are manipulated into buying what supermarkets want them to. This can lead to overspending which, in turn, may mean that you need to take out a loan to cover your payments, click here for more information on loans and interest rates.

However, if you make sure you go shopping armed with knowledge and a clear list, (and not necessarily a credit card) you can avoid becoming one of the over-spending masses!

Gourmet Burger Kitchen is a bit different from most burger places you’ll find. It’s not really what you’d call a traditional fast food joint and should be thought of more as a restaurant instead. By using the freshest ingredients and creating classic and innovative flavour combinations they aim to provide their patrons with ‘the best burgers in town’.

Everything is made freshly to order, so as well as picking from the menu, you can ask for something to be added, or left out to make it just as you want it. Buns are made by an artisan baker, and beef patties are made from Aberdeen Angus beef. Sauces are made freshly every day, and all the kitchens are on view so you can see your food being cooked from beginning to end.

The first Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) was opened in Battersea in London in 2001 by three New Zealanders, and since then, this restaurant has spread and there are over 50 restaurants which can now be found right across the UK from Brighton to Edinburgh, as well as a number in other parts of the world from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, to Greece, Turkey and other places.

The burgers themselves are a beauty to behold – and even better to eat! You can choose between original size and small size for most of the burger options, so that taking kids along isn’t ever a problem.
One burger which doesn’t come in a ‘small’ however is the Kiwiburger – this amazing combination is stacked with beef, beetroot, egg, pineapple, aged cheddar, salad, mayo and relish, It’s not a cheap burger coming in at £8.95 which is the third most expensive item on the menu, but, whenever you buy one a donation is made to help save the Kiwi too. The most expensive item is ‘The Mighty’ burger. This comes with 2 beef patties, aged cheddar, streaky bacon, garlic mayo, salad and relish, and is a meal all on its own without any extras.

All this wonderful food sounds quite expensive, but there are cheaper options on the menu, and you can also get printable vouchers from the internet, which can reduce the cost substantially. Vouchers vary, but can be along the lines of ‘Burger, fries and drink for £10’, or ‘Buy 1 burger or main course salad, and get a second for £1’, or even ‘Any burger for £5.95’. Vouchers like these can save you quite a lot of money, and mean that you can treat the family for a very reasonable sum indeed.