Sarah Vergara's Alaska Cruise Sparked a New Career Path

I had never been on a cruise before. I had never even been to the West Coast. But when my mom and aunt decided they wanted to celebrate their 60th birthdays with an Alaskan adventure, our group of six said yes without hesitation. We booked with Norwegian Cruise Line, departing from Seattle, and honestly, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

At the time, I wasn't a travel advisor. I was simply a traveler, eager to experience something completely different from what I knew back home. I come from a place that isn't a big city, so arriving in Seattle was already an awakening. But Alaska? Alaska was something else entirely.

Sunrises and the Observation Lounge

I'm an early bird, which turned out to be one of my greatest assets on this trip. Every morning, I would wake up before most passengers stirred and head straight to the observation lounge on the ship. Norwegian has this incredible space where you can sit with a coffee and just watch the world wake up. I remember that first morning after we left Seattle, running down to catch the sunrise, and being completely stunned by how different the landscape looked from anything I'd ever seen. The sun came up over the mountains in a way that felt almost theatrical, painting everything in soft light. I took pictures every single morning, chasing that feeling again and again.

What surprised me most was how much I actually enjoyed cruising. I went in skeptical, thinking it might not be for me, but the experience won me over. And Alaska itself exceeded every expectation. You see it in pictures, you think you know what to expect, but nothing compares to sitting there with a hot chocolate or a specialty coffee, watching glaciers drift by. The day we spent in Glacier Bay was particularly memorable. Just sitting and watching, letting the scenery unfold, felt like the most luxurious kind of downtime.

A Photo That Captured Everything

I took so many photographs on this trip, but there's one image that stands out above the rest. It captures the exact feeling of that moment on the cruise ship, looking out at the glaciers, experiencing the world through completely new eyes. The pictures I took are beautiful, but they still don't fully convey what it felt like to be there. That's something I carry with me now, that knowledge of what the real thing offers beyond any photograph.

Even in port, every stop had its own charm. There was so much to photograph, so much to simply take in. The mountains, the wildlife (we saw whales), the small details that you only notice when you slow down and really look. It was a relaxing adventure, if that makes sense. Plenty of downtime, plenty of space to just breathe and watch the mountains go by.

Who This Trip Is For

This isn't the trip for someone who wants sun and sand, obviously. But if you're open to something different, if you love scenery and mountains and a pace that lets you actually absorb where you are, Alaska delivers in ways that will stay with you. It's perfect for travelers who want to wake up each day to something spectacular without the pressure of a packed itinerary. Nature lovers, photographers, anyone craving something magnificent and unexpected.

This trip did something I didn't anticipate: it skyrocketed my passion for travel. When I came home, I couldn't wait to talk to my travel advisors about getting into the industry myself. That's how powerful the experience was. It made me realize how much there is to see in this world, and it set me on the path to becoming an advisor. Now I can speak confidently about Norwegian Cruise Line, about Alaska, about what it actually feels like to stand there watching glaciers. I will go back. And I cannot wait to help clients discover what I found: that opening your mind to an unexpected destination can change everything.