--- title: Why Curious Travelers Work With Me | Coolcation Adventures description: Work with an expert travel advisor who plans thoughtful, responsible trips. Custom itineraries, vetted local partners, and honest guidance from start to finish. image: https://coolcationadventures.com/hubfs/reindeer-daisy-1.jpeg --- [Skip to content](https://coolcationadventures.com/why#main-content) [![COOLCATION logo](https://coolcationadventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/COOLCATION%20logo.png?width=2500&height=2500&name=COOLCATION%20logo.png "COOLCATION logo")](https://coolcationadventures.com) [![Coolcation Adventures logo](https://coolcationadventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1-Aug-02-2026-02-09-29-2825-PM.png?width=137&height=33&name=1-Aug-02-2026-02-09-29-2825-PM.png "Coolcation Adventures logo")](https://coolcationadventures.com) - [Home](https://coolcationadventures.com) - [Why Work With Me](https://coolcationadventures.com/why) - [Services](https://coolcationadventures.com/about) - [Destinations](https://coolcationadventures.com/coolcation-adventures-blog) - [Alaska](https://coolcationadventures.com/alaska-travel-planning) - [Antarctica](https://coolcationadventures.com/antarctica-travel-guide) - [Wildlife Travel](https://coolcationadventures.com/wildlife-travel-planning) - [Coolcations](https://coolcationadventures.com/coolcation-custom-travel-planning-coolcation-adventures) - [Giving Back](https://coolcationadventures.com/giving) - [Sign Up](https://coolcationadventures.com/subscribe) [Contact](https://coolcationadventures.com/contact) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. # About Me ## Why Work With Me Jonna Robertson is a Fora Travel advisor and certified Virtuoso Voyages host specializing in expedition travel, Antarctic departures, and wildlife and whale watching trips worldwide, based in Chicago, Illinois. As the "Coolcation Queen," she operates under the name Coolcation Adventures and plans custom itineraries for travelers who want nature, wildlife, and cooler destinations to take center stage. Specialties: Antarctica expedition travel · Alaska wildlife and glacier trips · Svalbard polar expeditions · Scotland · Iceland · Pacific Northwest · whale watching destinations worldwide · Virtuoso Voyages hosted sailings · milestone and group travel · custom coolcation itineraries for travelers who prefer wildlife, cooler temperatures, and fewer crowds. [Email Jonna](mailto:jonna.robertson@fora.travel) ![hair style option2](https://coolcationadventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/hair%20style%20option2.png?width=1254&height=1254&name=hair%20style%20option2.png) MY APPROACH ## I Help Curious Travelers Go Somewhere Wild, Cool, and Meaningful I was 40 before I saw my first whale in the wild. I cried the entire time.I had been fascinated by whales since middle school, when a US Department of Education program called Voyage of the Mimi introduced me to humpback whales and something in me clicked that never unclicked. Growing up without the means to travel, I waited. I read about whales. I watched documentaries. I held onto this thing quietly for almost three decades. When I finally stood on that boat and the whale surfaced, I wasn't prepared for what I felt. I have been on 20+ whale watching trips since that day. And I have been on a mission to create that moment for other people ever since.T hat is what Coolcation Adventures is built on. ## Who I Work With I plan trips for travelers who want nature and wildlife to steal the show... For people who would rather layer up than burn out, who choose glaciers over beach chairs, who have always wanted to go somewhere wild and just need someone to help them actually make it happen. My specialties are expedition and coolcation travel: Alaska, Svalbard, Scotland, Iceland, Antarctica, the Pacific Northwest, and whale watching destinations around the world. These are places where the temperature is right, the crowds are manageable, and the wildlife shows up in ways that change people. I also plan milestone celebrations, group and family trips, and custom itineraries for clients who want something more thoughtful than a search result. Think a milestone celebration for 20 people in Paris, a bucket-list Machu Picchu trip for a group of veterans, or a Vancouver-to-Japan "once in a lifetime trip" for a father and daughter. [Learn More](https://coolcationadventures.com/giving) ![ice landing at 81 degrees north with aurora expeditions](https://coolcationadventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/IMG_7017%20ice%20landing.jpg?width=1500&height=2000&name=IMG_7017%20ice%20landing.jpg) ## CERTIFIED ![HX\_Logo\_Caviar](https://coolcationadventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/HX_Logo_Caviar.png?width=577&height=705&name=HX_Logo_Caviar.png) ![Aurora Logo Horizontal Coloured](https://coolcationadventures.com/hubfs/Aurora%20Logo%20Horizontal%20Coloured.png) ![Virt-Community-Adventure-Badge](https://coolcationadventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Virt-Community-Adventure-Badge.jpg?width=800&height=800&name=Virt-Community-Adventure-Badge.jpg) ![Travel Alaska Certified Badge](https://coolcationadventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Travel%20Alaska%20Certified%20Badge.jpg?width=1000&height=412&name=Travel%20Alaska%20Certified%20Badge.jpg) ![rm\_specialist](https://coolcationadventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/rm_specialist.png?width=650&height=368&name=rm_specialist.png) ![logo](https://coolcationadventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo.png?width=447&height=113&name=logo.png) ![logo expedition\_2023](https://coolcationadventures.com/hubfs/logo%20expedition_2023.png) ![VanSpecialist\_Eng\_HorPos\_Black\_RGB](https://coolcationadventures.com/hubfs/VanSpecialist_Eng_HorPos_Black_RGB.png) ![Certified-PolarPro-Logo](https://coolcationadventures.com/hubfs/Certified-PolarPro-Logo.png) ![Virt-Community-Cruise-Badge](https://coolcationadventures.com/hubfs/Virt-Community-Cruise-Badge.png) ![CelebrityScholarsBadge](https://coolcationadventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CelebrityScholarsBadge.png?width=2000&name=CelebrityScholarsBadge.png) ![HebrideanIslandCruises-logo](https://coolcationadventures.com/hubfs/HebrideanIslandCruises-logo.svg) ![AWA\_azamara\_expert\_badge](https://coolcationadventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AWA_azamara_expert_badge.png?width=2000&height=2000&name=AWA_azamara_expert_badge.png) ![Baja California LOGO-HORIZONTAL WHITE](https://coolcationadventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/BC%20LOGO-HORIZONTAL%20WHITE.png?width=2000&height=2000&name=BC%20LOGO-HORIZONTAL%20WHITE.png) ![phil lynott dublin](https://coolcationadventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/phil%20lynott%20dublin.jpg?width=2000&height=1500&name=phil%20lynott%20dublin.jpg) ## How I Work I listen, not just to what you ask for, but to what you mention once and move on from. That detail is often the whole trip. I do not book from brochures. I have been to these places as a traveler. I have stood on the deck of the Sylvia Earle in Svalbard at 6:45 AM when beluga whales came to investigate the ship. I know which ships get you close, which operators actually care, and which routing decisions make or break an expedition. When something goes wrong, and sometimes it does, I go straight to the people who can fix it. My job is not just to plan the trip. It is to make sure you come home with the story you were supposed to have. [Contact Jonna](mailto:) ## Why It Matters Beyond the Trip I believe the fastest and most lasting path to protecting wild places and wild animals is getting humans into their actual presence. You cannot unsee a whale breaching fifty feet from your boat. You cannot walk away from a polar bear on an ice floe and remain indifferent to what happens to the Arctic. The trip is the beginning of something, not just the thing itself. This is why every booking through Coolcation Adventures contributes to my give-back pledge, directing a portion toward wildlife research and conservation. When you travel with me, your trip does something beyond your vacation. ![10-1](https://coolcationadventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/10-1.png?width=1080&height=1350&name=10-1.png) ![jonna w glacier ice](https://coolcationadventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/jonna%20w%20glacier%20ice.jpg?width=900&height=1125&name=jonna%20w%20glacier%20ice.jpg) ## A Bit More About Me Coolcation Adventures operates under Fora Travel, one of the leading travel advisor networks in the country. I am a certified Virtuoso Voyages host, which means I host group sailings and travel on board with my clients and I'm hosting my own group to Antarctica in March 2027 with HX Expeditions. Before travel advising, I spent 25 years in marketing, artist management and special events, producing experiences for organizations including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project, and the Ravinia Festival. That background shapes how I think about every trip: the logistics are the floor, not the ceiling. What matters is what someone feels when it is over. I also offer event and conference logistics services like venue sourcing, room blocks, VIP coordination, and group travel for anyone who needs that level of detail handled well. ![Pack\_Ice\_23\_June\_2026-24](https://coolcationadventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Pack_Ice_23_June_2026-24.jpg?width=1000&height=562&name=Pack_Ice_23_June_2026-24.jpg "Pack_Ice_23_June_2026-24") GET IN TOUCH ## Ready to Go Somewhere Wild? If you have been putting off the trip you actually want... The one that sounds a little ambitious, a little cold, a little farther than the ordinary, let's talk. ### jonna.robertson@fora.travel [mailto:jonna.robertson@fora.travel](mailto:jonna.robertson@fora.travel) TITLE INTRO ## Frequently Asked Questions What does Coolcation Adventures specialize in? Coolcation Adventures specializes in expedition travel, wildlife and whale watching trips, and destinations where cooler temperatures, manageable crowds, and extraordinary wildlife take the place of crowded beaches and summer heat. Core specialties include Antarctica, Alaska, Svalbard, Scotland, Iceland, Greenland, the Pacific Northwest, and whale watching destinations worldwide. Who is Jonna Robertson? Jonna Robertson is a Fora Travel advisor and certified Virtuoso Voyages host based in Chicago, Illinois. She has 25+ years of background in concerts and events and has been whale watching 20+ times across the world's top wildlife destinations. She annually hosts group expedition voyages and cruises and travels on board with her clients. Does Coolcation Adventures plan Antarctica trips? Yes. Coolcation Adventures has an active group departure to Antarctica in March 2027 aboard the MS Roald Amundsen with HX Expeditions. Complimentary quotes for Antarctica and consultation calls are also available anytime. What other destinations does Coolcation Adventures plan? Alaska, Svalbard, Greenland, Scotland, Iceland, the Pacific Northwest, Norway, Japan, Machu Picchu, The Galapagos and whale watching destinations worldwide including the Pacific Coast, Baja California, Norway, and more. Jonna also plans milestone celebrations, family trips, and custom group travel for any destination. How does Jonna charge for travel planning? Cruise, expedition and all-inclusive packages booked through Coolcation Adventures are complimentary. Jonna earns a commission from the operators which means there is no fee to the client and no financial incentive to book anything other than the best fit for the trip. For multi-destination or complex itineraries, clients receive a custom quote for approval before any work begins. What is a coolcation? A coolcation is the opposite of a peak-summer, high-heat, overcrowded vacation. It's not just about cooleter temperatures, it's about fewer crowds, and more intentional travel choices. Destinations could include polar regions, northern Europe, the Pacific Northwest, mountain views, or just simply shoulder-season travel to places that are otherwise overrun in summer. Does Coolcation Adventures support conservation? Yes. Every booking through Coolcation Adventures contributes to Jonna's give-back pledge, directing a portion of travel revenue toward wildlife research and conservation organizations. The business is built on the belief that firsthand encounters with wildlife and nature are the most effective path to long-term conservation awareness and support. [mailto:jonna.robertson@for.travel](mailto:jonna.robertson@for.travel) 2024 All rights reserved | [Privacy Policy](https://coolcationadventures.com/why#privacy) { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": \[ { "@type": "TravelAgency", "@id": "https://coolcationadventures.com/#travel-agency", "name": "Coolcation Adventures", "url": "https://coolcationadventures.com/", "description": "Custom, thoughtfully paced trips for travelers who care about where they go, how they travel, and what their money supports.", "telephone": "+1-512-369-2011", "email": "jonna.robertson@fora.travel", "founder": { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://coolcationadventures.com/#jonna-robertson", "name": "Jonna Robertson", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://coolcationadventures.com/#travel-agency" } }, "knowsAbout": \[ "Custom travel planning", "Expeditions and cruises", "Wildlife and nature travel", "Responsible tourism", "Alaska travel", "Scotland travel", "Antarctica travel", "Iceland travel", "Baja whale watching" \], "areaServed": \[ "Alaska", "Scotland", "Antarctica", "Iceland", "Baja California" \], "mainEntityOfPage": { "@id": "https://coolcationadventures.com/why#webpage" } }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://coolcationadventures.com/#website", "url": "https://coolcationadventures.com/", "name": "Coolcation Adventures", "publisher": { "@id": "https://coolcationadventures.com/#travel-agency" }, "inLanguage": "en" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://coolcationadventures.com/why#webpage", "url": "https://coolcationadventures.com/why", "name": "Why Curious Travelers Work With Me | Coolcation Adventures", "description": "Learn how Coolcation Adventures creates thoughtful, personalized trips centered on expertise, responsible travel, nature, and wildlife.", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://coolcationadventures.com/#website" }, "about": { "@id": "https://coolcationadventures.com/#travel-agency" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://coolcationadventures.com/#travel-agency" }, "inLanguage": "en" } \] } ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://coolcationadventures.com/#organization", "@type" : "Organization", "contactPoint" : { "@type" : "ContactPoint", "availableLanguage" : [ "English" ], "contactType" : "customer service", "email" : "hello@coolcationadventures.com" }, "description" : "Coolcation Adventures is a custom travel planning company specializing in wildlife-focused, conservation-minded trips, including Alaska, Antarctica, Europe, and coastal destinations. 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