I swear by using blank pages for my travel diary. It's flexible, uncluttered, and cheap. I would have gone for something similar to Moleskine's 9x14 cm cahier journals (thin with flexible binding) and mailed the journal back home when it was full, and simply starting another one. Not what you asked for, but my 2 centicredits.
Sea water, food spills, beer, coffee... We are talking young men living in cramped quarters. ☺