Today was the first of two days at sea on our way down to Elephant Island and the White continent. We are experiencing great weather conditions for this crossing, and today was a good opportunity to take advantage of the open bridge policy onboard National Geographic Orion. Many guests also enjoyed the outer decks to photograph seabirds and spot distant whale blows. Even if it was a relaxing day for the guests, the crew onboard still works very hard to keep the engines running and serve everybody onboard. Most of the crew can be seen around the ship, but many of the heroes have their offices a bit more hidden. Here is a brief introduction to a few of those crew members, that works very hard behind the scenes, to make this ship such a comfortable visit for the rest of us.

Mark Asumbrado

Mark is our laundry master onboard. He single-handedly runs the laundry room and takes care of everything from bed linen, to laundry for guests, crew, and staff as well as tablecloths, napkins, and towels. He carries a big responsibility and is important not only for the hotel department but for everyone onboard. Mark has been working on National Geographic Orion since 2011. For this year’s contract he came aboard March 7th and is will return home for a well-deserved vacation at the end of January 2020. Mark lives in Davao City in Mindanao in the Philippines with his wife, his 16-year-old daughter and his son (soon to have his first birthday in late December!). He does an excellent job maintaining his laundry fortress in the bow of the ship.

Joseph Rodel Musca

Joseph might be one of the most popular crew among guests since he is our pastry chef and baker. He has been here since 2005. For him, National Geographic Orion is his second home and its crew is his extended family. He starts his days between 3 and 4 a.m. so that he can prepare bread and pastries for all three meals and snacks of the day. When he is not onboard, Joseph lives in Manila Metropolis with his wife and three children. Joseph is leaving for vacation at the end of this voyage, so he will be home celebrating Christmas with his family! Joseph is a very hard-working crew member who wakes well before Peter’s wakeup PA, and also he helps the rest of the galley team decorate plates for dinner in the late evenings.


Christian Resurreccion

If Joseph is one of the most popular crew among guests, Christian is probably one of the most popular among crew. Christian is in charge of the crew mess and makes sure that the crew gets their food served. He is also looking after the crew mess so that crew members have a nice and tidy place to break throughout the day. Christian has been on National Geographic Orion since March 2017. He started in October, and in May he will go home to Bulacan in the Philippines, where he lives with his wife and baby boy of 16 months. Christian is forever working hard, and always with a visible smile on his face. National Geographic Orion is greatly fortuned to have him as a part of its team.