The once 570-passenger ship is undergoing a major refurbishment and will emerge with a significantly reduced capacity of just 350 guests – allowing for more than 80 new suites and staterooms. Accompanying each voyage are knowledgeable speakers that engage passengers with fascinating information about each port. Scheduled itineraries include ancient wonders like Pompeii, the Monastery of Osios Loùka, the island of Pátmos, and the volcanoes of Vesuvius.

As part of the inaugural season, Voyages to Antiquity is featuring promotional specials such as free airfare from East Coast cities, no single-traveler supplement, and up to $1,000 off per stateroom on select itineraries. The 2010 odysseys will also include complimentary shore excursions in every port of call, gratuities, and wine with dinner.  Two-week cruises start at $3,495.

For more information, visit www.voyagestoantiquity.com.

Set to debut in 2010, the site is splattered with photos of Katrina and her kids involved in all types of activities in all sorts of exotic locales (from horseback riding in Patagonia to sand surfing in Morocco), as well as numerous at-a-click resources, like Garnett’s own global rolodex of luxury tour operators. Enabling users to share their own travel itineraries while offering all the necessary practicalities to build new trips (MSL even has a certified destination specialist on “hand”), the site design also features nifty tools like a color-coded calendar showing, at a glance, the best times to travel to dozens of cities (by breaking down weather, crowds, and event info). Like-minded “mompreneurs” looking to stay “effortlessly chic” while living out of a suitcase will benefit from Katrina’s personal travel style tips (which pair Purell with an Hermes scarf as must-brings) and be grateful for equally valuable checklists proffering advice on key travel documents and hotel booking.

According to Katrina, no matter where you want to go or how much you have to juggle, “you can do it all, if you plan it well.” While $100/month will get you full access to do just that, limited free content is also available to the public.

Apple, well-versed in virtually all culinary styles and subjects, kept a small bag packed with Tabasco sauce and a tiny pepper mill in case of a sudden call abroad. As his friend Calvin Trillin once wrote: “Apple is someone who seems equally famished whether he’s sitting down to dinner at a three-star French restaurant or at a crab shack; he is what A.J. Liebling would have called, admiringly, a feeder.”

From the Fall 2009 issue of Sherman’s Travel magazine.

iMedjet This virtual first-aid kit offers remedies for jet lag and nausea, and explains how to set broken bones.

Urban Spoon, Yelp, Zagat Locate eateries and read reviews and menus.

Truphone, Skype Make long-distance calls over the Web and save some serious money.

Nearest Tube, TomTom Using iPhone’s internal compass and video camera, these apps pinpoint attractions and subways.

FlightTrack Access live status updates for flights on the ground and in the air.

Jet Blue for iGoogle, iFareFinder, Airfare Scour daily flight deals

Currency Calculate exchange rates

HiConverter Convert measurements

Translate It!, Lingolook, Flashcards, QTranslator Can’t speak the language? There tools not only translate words and phrases, but offer helpful cultural tips too.

Sit or Squat Charmin hosts this user-generated database of free public toilets

GasBag Find the lowest-priced gas stations through the suggestions of scores of users.

Flashlight Light up your phone’s screen to help in the search for errant keys.

Click here to check out Four Seasons Hotels’ brand new room-booking (and more) app.

From the Fall 2009 issue of Sherman’s Travel magazine.

Lying on top of the turquoise clear sea, the stunning bi-level units (pictured) feature ample accommodations: including two bedrooms, dual dressing rooms, and a spacious living area (not to mention a “well-being” room used purely for massage purposes). Elegant Italian marble bathrooms (three total) compliment the exotic Polynesian-inspired decor. Outside, bask in your own private pool, Jacuzzi, and sun deck gazebo. Perks (yes, there are more) include canopy king beds and glass floor panels providing limitless ocean views.

Rates start at a worthy $5,000 per night (plus taxes) — or half that per couple, if you go the Couples Retreat route. The bill includes all of the following: personalized service with private check-in; welcome cocktails; flower lei and Polynesian pareo (sarong) upon arrival; a 40-minute in-room massage per adult; a bottle of bubbly and fresh fruit platter; twice daily maid service; and (spoiler alert!) a shell necklace as a farewell gift.

While the Powercube can charge hundreds of devices like cell phones, iPods, and Bluetooths (via USB plugs), the system isn’t entirely wireless, as the mat’s own single cord should be connected to an outlet (or USB port) to complete a full charge (which for most devices takes no more than 30 minutes). Custom receivers that directly attach to, and are made specifically for, more popular handheld gizmos (ie: Blackberries, iPhones, and Nintendo DS’s) are available for an extra cost ($30-40 each) – and are necessary to go as bare as possible of wire-ware. Considering the compact travel version runs $100 (before adding adapter cases), it’s somewhat of a hefty price to pay for the convenience of cord consolidation.

An alternative available November 1st, Technocel Wireless Accessories’ PowerPak will feature a built-in battery reserve that instantaneously refuels a plethora of PDA’s, MP3 Players, cell-phones (including iPhones), etc., for up to 3 extra hours. At $50, its half the price of a Powermat, and can perform without needing to be tethered to an outlet.

Where to Buy Purchase a Powermat at your local Target or Best Buy. For a PowerPak, visit any nationwide Sprint store, or order online at www.technocel.com.

Gilt Groupe, a members-only site hocking the latest designer fashions at up to 70% off retail prices, is bringing its bargains to the world of luxury travel. Known for daily “flash-sales” on limited quantities of inventory ranging from coveted Marc Jacobs bags to gorgeous Oscar de la Renta gowns, Gilt is applying its successful fashion model to new sister site, Jetsetter. Launched September 30 in Beta form, Jetsetter features a swank layout of drool-worthy deals on high-end hotels, cruises, and tours at values not available to the mass market (typically 30-40% lower than standard rates).

Different from other discount sites, Jetsetter’s trips are selected by discriminating “curators” (veteran travel writers and industry experts) who comb the world for premium discoveries, sealing the deals with the Jetsetter stamp of approval. Secret sales, which start nightly at 8PM EST and last just 48 hours, should sell out super fast (if the fashion sales are any indication) – so if you want to snag a half-price room at the historic Hotel Negresco (pictured), take heed to hustle.

When Jetsetter fully launches in 2010, membership will be on a rolling, invite-only basis (currently, any Gilt Groupe member has access). To register now for a ShermansTravel exclusive invite, visit http://www.jetsetter.com/register/promo/shermanstravel.

The Catch Bookings are nonrefundable and cancellations not allowed.

Tips If you can’t commit on first click, a deposit will hold your trip for 72 hours. Refer a friend via email and pocket a $25 credit towards your next purchase.

With six packages to choose from, there’s a trip for every type of traveler – including a volunteer option and two brief stints (in either Beijing or Shanghai) inclusive of business class airfare and 3 sweet nights’ slumber at your pick of a Grand Hyatt or Ritz. An upcoming World Expo tour is in the works for May 2010, when Shanghai will host China’s first world’s fair – expected to draw the largest number of visitors in the event’s 150-plus-year history.

U.S. flights depart from LAX/JFK/SFO (the price does not include transportation to these airports from other cities). To book a China Experience tour, call 877-324-4623 or visit www.cathaypacific.com/us/chinaexperience.

The Evason Ma’In Hot Springs & Six Senses Spa (from $170/night) opened last February at the base of hot springs that, legend has it, King Herod once frequented. An hour’s drive southwest of Amman, the resort provides perks such as an alfresco movie theater, a clifftop restaurant overlooking the Dead Sea, and spa treatments using Dead Sea salt, local dates, and honey.

For visits to the Dead Sea, the prime address remains the 345-room Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea (from $139/night), 34 miles southwest of Amman. Already considered the premier place to float in the sea’s famously salty waters, the lavish beach resort debuted its large and sumptuous Anantara Spa last November.

About 140 miles from Amman, Jordan’s stunning sandstone city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has beckoned to travelers for years. While there, visitors can learn how to prepare classic Middle Eastern dishes like baba ghanoush (eggplant dip) and maqluba (a rice-andeggplant casserole) at the 3-year-old restaurant and cooking school Petra Kitchen ($43; reservations required; kitchen@petramoon.com). Afterward, travelers can embark on Petra by
Night ($42), a solemn candlelit walk that culminates in a live music performance before Petra’s iconic treasury building. No luxury hotels have landed here yet, but the unusual Taybet Zaman Hotel and Resort (from $146/night) offers a memorable alternative, with unique rooms set in cobbled bedouin dwellings from the 1920s.

At the southern end of Jordan, the Red Sea town of Aqaba provides remarkable panoramic sightlines of Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. The new 201-room Kempinski Aqaba (from $237/night) is a chic place to get one’s bearings. The crisp designer rooms offer sea views and complimentary minibars, and the happening pool scene wouldn’t seem out of place in Miami.

Some essentials to know before visiting Jordan: The $14 entry visa can be purchased on arrival but only with Jordanian dinars. If flying in, as most visitors do, to Queen Alia International Airport, exchange money in advance, as there are no ATMs before the customs gate. Rent a car at the airport and set out on the wellpaved roads. For the most part, clear signs in English and Arabic mark the routes, so security checkpoints are the only quirky aspect of driving along the King’s Highway; just show your passport. Those who prefer not to drive should splurge on the 7-Night Ultimate Jordanian Experience tour from Evason Ma’In Hot Springs. This includes visits to Petra, the Dead Sea, and more ($7,713 for two people).