I recently sailed on an exotic itinerary in the South Pacific, traveling to far-flung atolls and deserted islands in the Southern Line Islands group. The cruise is called Isles, Atolls and Pristine Corals by Lindblad National Geographic on the National Geographic Orion.

orion cruise ship

One of the things I do on trips is create a Top Ten List. Remember the David Letterman Show? While I don’t have celebrities or fancy graphics announcing my list, this is a good way to capture my memories of the trip.

tropical waters

Here is my list for the Lindblad National Geographic Orion Cruise:

1.
Meeting the friendly and knowledgeable expedition leaders: Martin, Lucho, Chris, Adam, Johanna
2.
The sapphire-colored water of the South Pacific.
3.
Seeing the nesting red-footed boobys and their the fluffy white chicks with no fear of humans.
4.
Spotting sharks while snorkeling-luckily they were swimming away from me….
5.
Landing at Millennium Atoll-the first island to greet the millennium in 2000-uninhabited except for the coconut crabs. (and probably rats).
6.
The crew of the MV Orion-especially Captain Oliver, Dr. Rita, Meo, Kim and Helga
7.
The view from the bridge-guests are welcome to come and talk to the captain and crew.
8.
Seeing the coral reef and fish from the MV Tom Ritchie, the glass-bottomed zodiac.
9.
Sailing with such well-traveled and fascinating people.
10.
The gleaming brass and comfortable interior of the Orion

This list is an overall list of my impressions from the cruise, but I also try to do this daily. A daily list is great for a cruise or tour where you are going to a different place every day.

tropical island

 

How to write a Top Ten List:

*Get paper and pen and take a couple of deep breaths.
*Think about your day or your trip.
*Write the first ten things you think of quickly, adding just enough to remember the event or activity.
*Try to write the ten ideas in 3 minutes or less.
*Write the list in no particular order, as the purpose of the list is for remembering, not ranking.
*Add pictures or drawings to make your list more colorful.

Bow of the boat

That’s it! a quick and satisfying way to capture your travel memories.
Let me know how you remember your travels and if you try making a Top Ten List.

Contact me for more information about this cruise and other Lindblad National Geographic cruises!

Disclosure statement: I was a guest of Lindblad on this trip, but I experienced the cruise as a guest and all comments and opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks to Lynda Barry for the idea and structure of the Top Ten List.