Sherman's Travel

Twelve celebrity chefs walk onto a cruise ship – no punch line here. Each of these renowned kitchen pros headlines one seven-night, Royal Caribbean Epicurean Discovery voyage on the Freedom of the Seas. Available from September 2010 through February 2011, the program highlights a private dining experience with the chef, wine-tasting, appetizer and cocktail reception, and complimentary in-room amenities, among other savory perks.

One of the first mainstream cruise carriers to feature an extensive culinary experience, Royal Caribbean joins the ranks of luxury lines like Crystal Cruises and Regent Seven Seas, rivaling their food festival, wine-tasting, and cooking workshop cruises, which can cost from $5,000 and up, per person. Comprising a star lineup of Top Chef contestants, James Beard Award winners, and acclaimed gourmet masters, Epicurean Discovery (only applicable to suite bookings) runs from just $1,249 to $1,849 per person, based on double occupancy – not a penny more than regular suite rates!

With the first sail date fast approaching on September 19, The Freedom of the Seas prepares for 12 round-trip voyages from Port Canaveral. The cruises will follow thoroughfare routes to the Eastern or Western Caribbean, calling on ports like Cozumel, St. Maarten, Ocho Rios, and CoCo Cay. Visit www.royalcaribbean.com to book yours.

California lures thousands of tourists every year with its relaxed charisma, temperate climate, and the audacity to produce over 90 percent of America’s wine. Through June 8, The Cliffs resort in Pismo Beach, one of California’s most fertile wine regions, is paying homage to its plentiful natural resources with the Bounty of the County deal. Charging only $184.50/night, the award-winning Cliffs on Shell Beach offers romantic views and fresh breezes directly off the water. 

Bounty of the County includes:
•    Two-nights’ accommodations
•    Private coach transportation and tour of the Santa Margarita Ranch, followed by wine-tasting at Ancient Peaks Winery
•    Paso Robles’ Eberle Winery excursion with gourmet lunch, guided cave tour, and a lesson on winemaking
•    Goat farm experience with an opportunity to make your own cheese
•    Lavender farm foray with lavender-infused lemonade and cookies

Call 800-826-7827 to reserve.

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Quaint Chestnut Hill feels like a little town that wandered into a big city and never left, all friendly faces and cobblestone streets. In fact, it’s one of Philadelphia’s oldest neighborhoods: Some of its row houses date from the 18th century. Nothing changes too quickly here—many of the shops have been around for decades and there is hardly a chain store in sight.  

Chestnut Hill Cheese Shop This nearly 45-year-old shop stocks scores of imported and domestic cheeses, from French Etorki to rich, nutty Swiss Hoch Ybrig, and the blithe employees are generous with the samples. The shop also sells assorted gourmet food items including hot sauces and delectable Belgian chocolate chips by the pound. 8509 Germantown Ave.; 215/242-2211, chcheeseshop.com

Hideaway Music Brian Reisman’s independent music store is small but offers a rich collection of new and used CDs, rare vinyl, and vintage concert posters from the likes of Santana and Pink Floyd. Unlike at some stores of its ilk, Hideway’s staff answers questions minus any attitude. 8612 Germantown Ave.; 215/248-4434
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Say “adiós” to your rug rats, family, and friends in the States and “¡hola!” to the adults-only El Dorado Royale Resort on the Riviera Maya, in Mexico this winter. For a limited time only, this opulent all-inclusive beachfront resort is slashing its nightly prices to $359 – that’s $120 off standard rates! Plus, El Dorado Royale is giving its guests $500 worth of resort credit, which can be redeemed at the resort spa and wine cellar, or used for a romantic candlelight dinner on the beach.

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Dogs have been mans best friend for centuries, and they are finally starting to get some much-deserved love from the hotel industry. If your pooch needs a little R&R, book a room at the Hotel de Luxe in downtown Portland, OR. 

A trip back in time to the golden days of Hollywood, Hotel de Luxe is heavy on perks… for your pup. 

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An affordable alternative to an Italian vineyard retreat lies just west of Austin in the heart of Texas Hill Country. Surrounded by crystal-clear rivers and gorgeous rolling hills, the 24 wineries of this fast-growing wine region offer year-round tours and tastings of newly released wines. Less than ten minutes away from six popular wineries, Rose Hill Manor provides upscale accommodations in the heart of historic Fredericksburg. All sunlit guestrooms and individual cottages have private porches with additional perks like in-room massages (available at reasonable rates). Book your 3-night stay at the classic country inn for the low price of $635. Available year-round from Sunday through Thursday, the 3-Night Special includes three full breakfasts and one 4-course gourmet dinner for two.

The knockout Regent Grand Hotel Bordeaux, the area’s first and only luxury hotel, opened in early 2008. The beautiful 1779 façade of the former Grand Hotel has been kept intact but the interiors boast a totally new look. French designer Jacques Garcia has transformed the hotel’s 150 rooms with rich, decadent fabrics, beautiful paneling, and marble bathrooms; suites have wine-tasting wet bars. This fall, prime wine-tasting season, you can save nearly 30 percent off regular rates with the hotel’s Gourmet Package. The deal includes two nights’ accommodations, daily breakfast in Brasserie L’Europe, dinner or lunch for two at Le Pressoir d’Argent (includes a three-course menu with wine, mineral water, and coffee), and an in-room welcome gift. Rates normally start at a whopping $1,057, but you’ll pay $757 through December 30, 2009 (exclusive of Sunday and Monday night stays).

Hotel Saint Cecilia (named after the patron saint of music and poetry) is a great boutique hotel that opened last year in Austin’s South Congress District. Among its offerings are mini bars that Cecilia herself would see fit to rename with a decidedly more grandiose adjective. If Warhol, poetry, and legendary furniture design features give you a craving for elegant eats, head back to your suite, bungelow, or studio and, with mother-of-pearl or olive wood utensils in hand, dine in-room on global gourmet treats. Tucked inside the minibar are handmade chocolates, shortbread cookies, olive oil crackers, and, on the more opulent end, red lumpfish caviar, a variety of cheeses, duck rillette, salami, and bison jerky. Wash it down with a fine Pinot Grigio or Rioja, and nurse that possible hangover later with kombucha, or a Victorian lemonade.

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