Move over Julia Roberts! Susan Calman lives out ‘Pretty Woman’ fantasies in St Barts

This week’s episode of Susan Calman’s Cruise of a Lifetime gave a glimpse into how the other half live as she continued her Caribbean cruise onboard the exclusive Emerald Sakara superyacht. 

Susan kept busy in her newly-appointed position as ‘Crewman Calman’ by helping the deckhands to drop anchor, while also taking up snorkelling, hikes in the wilderness and e-foiling. One, perhaps, unexpected turn in the episode was a shopping trip that was not unlike a certain iconic scene from the 1990 blockbuster Pretty Woman, starring Julia Roberts.

After some windy weather meant the crew had to change course away from the tiny island of Anegada (where the ship was originally destined), Susan soon found her feet in the A-listers playground of Saint Barthélemy or, St Barts. “I belong here” she explains with a smirk.

Talking to private travel concierge professional, Emily, Susan was keen to find out what the go-to St Barts dress code is to ensure she looks the part, joking that her “discount shirt” might be a little out of place here. 

“Beautiful dresses…big hats, big sunglasses” Emily advises, to which a grinning Calman replies: “Perfect”. Quickly making a dash for the island’s capital and designer shopping paradise of Gustavia, Susan realises there is one thing she is missing. 

“I’ve got style, I’ve got attitude, I’ve got sass” she says, clicking her fingers in a most convincing diva-esque manner, “but there’s just one thing I need to top it all off”. Queue a hilarious slow-motion montage of Calman strutting up and down the streets of St Barts in a giant hat, to the sound of Roy Oberson’s Pretty Woman. 

With the likes of Leonardo Di Caprio, Pippa Middleton and the Kardashians having visited St Barts in the last year, back onboard Emerald Sakura Susan decides it’s time for a game of ‘guess which yacht belongs to which celeb’. “That one over there I’m thinking Cher is on” she says, pointing at a classic-looking white yacht before bursting into a Cher-like warble. “And that one looks a bit newer, so possibly someone like Ariana Grande or Dua Lipa?” she suggests, looking over to a neighbouring sleek vessel. 

– READ MORE: What’s onboard Emerald Cruises’ new superyacht? –

With a maximum capacity of 100 guests, Emerald Sakara is able to reach destinations that larger cruise ships would never get a chance to. One of these is the uninhabited island of Sandy Spit – a tiny, pristine islet with ivory-white sand and gently swaying palm trees in the centre, surrounded by clear, aquamarine waters just off the coast of Jost Van Dyke. 

“I think the crew may have found paradise” Calman declares, looking out onto the picture-perfect island which she explains is “one of the most photographed places in the Caribbean” – and it’s not hard to see why. 

After a snorkelling session around the island, Susan ventures onto its idyllic sandy shores. “It’s amazingly peaceful – the only sound is the waves and the leaves on the trees. It’s really restoring my soul” she tells the camera in wonder. 

– READ MORE: The complete guide to Royal Caribbean’s Caribbean cruises –

The peace and quiet is broken later on as Susan tries her hand at a brand-new pursuit: foil boarding or ‘e-foiling’ as it’s sometimes also known – a type of surfing with a hydrofoil propellor underneath the board which can lift you out of the water.

“Are you in the mood to fly today?” asks Fred the instructor as they get ready on land. 

Always game, Calman dived into learning the new watersport with gusto and before long took flight…briefly.

Looking slightly more comfortable back on land she tells viewers “For about five seconds I looked like I was flying and it felt amazing”. And then, with a smile, “I need a sit down, I think I’ve been flying for a bit too long”.

– READ MORE: One of the world’s most exclusive cruises is launching in 2025 –

Elsewhere in the episode, Susan takes an exclusive tour around one of St Bart’s most luxurious (and expensive!) private villas with travel concierge, Emily.

“This is a multi-million dollar view” she exclaimed, hanging over the edge of the villa’s expansive balconies and looking out to the glittering ocean. 

And she wasn’t far off. It’s later revealed that just one week in the villa alone sets guests back an eye-watering $140,000. Sprawling dressing rooms, an infinity pool and even a luxe cinema come with the property.

Ever the optimist, Calman steps into one of the villa’s many vast ensuite bathrooms and lets viewers in on a secret, whispering: “I’m coming around to the fact that I think St Barts might be the place for me – I think I fit in really quite well here”. 

“I’m living my best life in St Barts” Susan announces with glee as they leave – and that certainly seems to sum up the whole trip. It’s impossible not to live your best life while on a superyacht cruise around the Caribbean, as it turns out. 

For episode six of Susan Calman’s Cruise of a Lifetime, the celebrity will set sail for Greece with an itinerary around the Aegean Sea, airing on Channel 5 at 8pm on February 7, 2025.

Book your Emerald Cruises holiday here.

– READ MORE: Butlers, beaches & boutiques: luxury cruising in the Caribbean –