Virgin Islands resort offers vacation stay for parent wannabes

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

A journey to babyland?

Can Caribbean lore help wannabe parents? The three-night “Procreation Vacation” at the Westin St. John Resort & Villas was conceived when housekeepers were overheard discussing fertility recipes. Not only will travelers be able to take home those recipes but they’ll also get to unwind in a luxury suite, enjoy a romantic dinner on the beach, a couple’s massage with aromatherapy and reflexology for fertility and virility, and unlimited servings of sea moss elixir (said to be an aphrodisiac for men) and pumpkin soup (said to promote female fecundity).

Dates: Through Dec. 18

Price: Starting at $1,527, double occupancy, including accommodations, daily breakfast, a three-course beach dinner with wine pairing (including gratuity) and airport transfers.

Contact: The Westin St. John, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands; www.starwoodcaribbean.com/procreationvacation

NEW YORK CITY

A trip down Broadway

Applaud aplenty during El Camino College professor Ron Scarlata’s annual Broadway theater tour; the acting teacher is a drama expert and will guide participants through one of the world’s most significant performing-arts capitals.

Dates: Dec. 26 to Jan. 1

Price: $2,510 (double occupancy; single supplement available upon request; price decreases for triple or quad occupancy), including round-trip nonstop airfare, airport transfers, accommodations at the centrally located Crowne Plaza Hotel, tickets to two Broadway musicals and one nonmusical play, post-performance seminars and a tour of Manhattan. Book early; last year’s tour sold out.

Info: Ron Scarlata, Torrance; (310) 660-3593, Ext. 3704

BALI

History, art and nature tour

Surrender to Bali’s cultural and natural splendor during this 16-day immersion tour led by a guide who did her dissertation work on the island. You’ll visit magnificent seaside temples, colorful markets, artisan villages, the Ubud Botanical Gardens and natural wonders including a volcano, a monkey forest and Petulu, a site to which thousands of white herons flock. Five free days allow time for affordable optional classes such as silver jewelry-making ($20), Balinese cooking ($30) and batik-making ($38).

Itinerary: Nine nights in Ubud; four nights in Legian

Dates: Jan. 4 to 19

Price: $3,100, double occupancy (single supplement $400; $2,750 for triple occupancy), including round-trip airfare from San Francisco (other cities available) on Singapore Airlines (a Singapore stopover on the way home is a $50 add-on), transfers, hotel accommodations, 24 meals, the services of tour guides, bus transportation on the island, a 90-minute spa treatment per room, a water-sports island cruise and tickets to three cultural dance shows. The rate does not include an airport departure tax ($11), drinks or gratuities.

Info: Innovative Immersion Tour Programs, Los Angeles; (916) 709-3249, www.iitours.com

ENGLAND, IRELAND AND CANADA

Trip marks Titanic centennial

Remember those lost when you take a 12-night journey that falls during the centennial anniversary of the Titanic tragedy. Aboard the Balmoral, a liner operated by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines (whose parent company built the ill-fated beauty), you’ll follow the ship’s original 1912 route, participate in a late-night memorial service directly above the remains of the original Titanic, visit cemeteries where its victims are buried and end up at the doomed vessel’s intended destination: New York City.

Itinerary: Southampton, England, to Cobh, Ireland, to Halifax, Canada, to New York City.

Dates: Departs April 8, 2012

Price: Starting at $3,900, including taxes, a Titanic-themed shore excursion in Cobh, food to match what was served on the Titanic, early 1900s themed music and dancing, and lessons from maritime historians.

Info: Borton Overseas, Minneapolis; (800) 843-0602, www.bortonoverseas.com

UTAH

River rafting on the Colorado

Conquer your fears on Abercrombie & Kent’s “Cataract Canyon River Rafting” six-day itinerary in Utah, which winds its way down the Colorado River over intense rapids, through Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park, and past Native American ruins and petroglyphs.

Dates: Seven departure dates beginning May 10

Price: From $2,415 (double occupancy; single supplement, $235), including all meals, one night in Moab’s Gonzo Inn, expert rafting guidance, a hike to a petrified forest, overnight accommodations in an oversized tent and the grand finale: a scenic flight over Canyonlands National Park and the recently rafted region. Taxes and transfers are not included.

Contact: Abercrombie & Kent, Downers Grove, Ill.; (800) 554 7094, www.abercrombiekent.com

-- Avital Binshtock

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itinerary@latimes.com