Sherman's Travel

The Jalousie Plantation, on the lush island of St. Lucia, recently renovated its Luxury Sugar Mill Rooms. They’re now a study in understated chic – read: white-on-white with four-poster beds. Each is loaded with amenities, has a private walled garden and a plunge pool – and most have views of the Pitons.

Book one on the Rainforest Spa Break Away (January 5, 2011–July 31, 2011) and you save big:

The cost starts at $270 per night (excluding 18% tax and service charge) and it comes with:

• one signature Bamboo massage at the tree-house-style Rainforest Spa
• one manicure or pedicure
• ­full daily breakfast for two adults

And like many of the resorts that reward you for a longer stay, if you book three consecutive nights, the fourth night is free.

What’s the catch? The Luxury Sugar Mill Rooms aren’t quite as secluded as the free-standing villas, although you’re close to the water. So you save hundreds by having a neighbor. www.jalousieplantation.com

For general trip-planning information, see our St. Lucia Travel Guide.

Want to get married surrounded by 12-million-year-old rock formations, perched 1,100 feet above the Caribbean’s most photogenic peaks or standing in a vine-draped 700-year-old cloister? You can. With destination weddings accounting for about 16 percent of all marriages, many of the world’s leading resorts are now making their most unique and picturesque settings available for ceremonies and receptions. Here are three visually breathtaking places to utter “I do.”

Paradise Pavilion at Ladera, St. Lucia The stunning view of this Caribbean island’s iconic twin Piton peaks hasn’t changed since this serene, 32-room resort opened, but the recent addition of this 1,200-square-foot, open-air (yet sheltered) wedding venue means couples and their guests can enjoy it in private. Set along the same rainforest ridge as Ladera’s romantic plunge-pool suites, with unobstructed panoramic views of the Pitons and the sea, Paradise Pavilion (see photo, above) accommodates up to 100 people for a sunset ceremony and reception – catered by award-winning chef Orlando Satchell of Ladera’s Dasheene restaurant – and guarantees memorable wedding photos. It is linked via landscaped stone pathway to Hilltop Dream Suite #X8, which serves both as a bridal party dressing room and post-party honeymoon suite. For a wedding of approximately 80 guests, couples can take over the entire resort. Rooms from $380; for Wedding Packages and Paradise Pavilion rental rates, contact weddings@ladera.com. Read more

Living up to its spirited name, The BodyHoliday spa resort in stunning St. Lucia provides an unconventional experience for those who seek a true mind, body, and soul rejuvenation. Featured as SpaWeek’s Destination of the Month, the BodyHoliday team is cutting their rack rates (regularly $368) by an entire 35 percent for bookings made by May 31. Starting from $239 per person, per night (sans gratuities), the luxurious property on the northern coast of this tranquil island invites guests for an all-inclusive stay, daily spa credit, and an impressive array of complimentary classes and activities. Travel through October 31 to save $256 per night.
 
This package comprises:
•    Thirty-five percent off regular nightly rates
•    An all-inclusive stay (first-class accommodations, meals, and non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages)
•    $100 spa credit per person
•    Daily 50-minute spa treatment per person
•    Fitness and relaxation classes, such as tai chi, yoga, and meditation
•    Land and water activities, including motorized water sports and scuba diving
•    Complimentary golf lessons and rounds on their course
•    Tennis lessons
•    Cocktail party
•    Daily evening entertainment, including dance performances, fire eaters, steel drummers, and other forms of indigenous performance art

Visit www.spaweek.com for more information.

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Whisk the family away to The Landings St. Lucia in the balmy Caribbean and receive royal treatment without coughing up your life’s savings. Between April 12 and November 24, this ritzy RockResort is offering a promising package that caters to youngsters. The Kids Stay, Play, and Eat Free deal starts at $395/night for a one-bedroom Harbor-view suite (rates can be as high as $1,129/night during peak season) and includes the following:

•    Free breakfast, lunch, and dinner at The Beach Club restaurant for children ages 12 and under
•    Free access to The Landings Kids’ Club for children ages four and up
•    One complimentary night (up to four hours) of in-room nanny care

Read more

Spring is the season of savings on luxury cruises, with leading companies offering reduced rates, free airfare, and more. Whether you are a veteran cruiser longing for a taste of the “white-glove service” or a first-timer looking to splurge, now is the time to experience the crème de la crème of the industry without paying the 5-star price tag. Some offers expire as soon as March 31, so act quickly!

Oceania’s 2-for-1 Fares and Free Airfare Offer
Oceania is cleaning house with drastically reduced rates on their 2010 and 2011 cruise collection. Save over 50 percent, plus receive free airfare on bookings made by March 31. Oceania’s fleet consists of three (soon to be four) ships carrying just 684 guests but 400 crew members insuring passengers will receive personal attention throughout their voyage.  There are numerous cruises on sale, but our top pick is this 14-day cruise around the tip of South America – from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso starting from $3,999.

For more information, visit www.oceaniacruises.com.

Yachts of Seabourn Offers 2-for-1 Fares
Sail aboard Seabourn’s intimate yacht-like vessels and enjoy 2-for-1 fares when booking by April 30. This offer includes itineraries in Europe and Asia, plus airfare can be added for just $499. Carrying no more than 450 guests in all-suite accommodations, private on-ship watersports marina and fine-dining menus created by renowned celebrity chef, Charlie Palmer Seabourn’s fleet will leave you feeling like a celebrity at sea.  Check out the 12-day cruise aboard the Seabourn Pride that sets sail to Japan, Korea, and China on August 10 – priced from $5,700.

For more information, visit www.seabourn.com.

Silversea’s Last-Minute Caribbean Sale
If you’ve got some time on your hands in April, Silversea is cutting rates up to 60 percent on three of its Caribbean itineraries, and is also tossing in free economy airfare and transfers. The cruises are available aboard the Silver Shadow, and call at seductive islands like Antigua, Barbados, Turks and Caicos, St. Lucia, and more. Rates start at $2,758 and include gratuities and unlimited beverages.

For more information, visit www.silversea.com.

SHERMAN’S EXCLUSIVE

The Luxury This former cocoa plantation at the base of St. Lucia’s volcanic Piton mountains, now a 26-acre boutique resort, is a quick shuttle ride away from the colonial town of Soufriere and semi-secluded Malgretoute and Jalousie beaches. Each of the Stonefield Villas’ 17 villas include antique four-poster beds, spacious verandahs, private plunge pools, and outdoor showers. The gourmet creole fare at the resort’s Mango Tree Restaurant incorporates local market ingredients and organic herbs and vegetables grown on the property.  Read more

Everything may be sunshine, beach-side barbeques, and picnics in the park right now, but once October rolls around that looming feeling will hit, and you’ll know the winter months are too close for comfort. When it does, you’ll have a tough decision to make – accept cold weather as inevitable, or run away from it. We suggest living in denial for another week or so, and by booking a flight ahead of time on one of JetBlue’s new routes to tropical locations, you’ll save some cold-hard cash in the process. Read more

It sounds almost…dangerous right? But kind of fun, too? Well it turns out that the champagne is doing the zipping, not you, so it’s quite safe after all. This new amenity recently turned up at the luxe Cap Maison on St. Lucia. Unlike most of its fellow Caribbean neighbors, the island of St. Lucia is hugged by craggy cliffs instead of wide, soft beaches. So a stay on the beautiful isle inevitably involves climbing stairs—lots of them. At Cap Maison, the restaurant, the Cliff at Cap, is perched high up on the cliffs; far below sits a wooden platform perched right on the rocks, surrounded on three sides by crashing sea. Rock Maison, as it’s called, is a prime spot for yoga classes, spa treatments and…sunset drinks. But who wants to trek up and down the cliffside in between every round? Read more