Universal Assistance vs Costa Cruises
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Universal Assistance
This app provides comprehensive travel assistance services globally, available 24/7. It helps travelers with health issues, legal problems, and lost items like luggage or documents through a dedicated call center system.
- 24/7 multilingual call centers
- Global operations across five continents
- Assistance for health mishaps
- Support for legal problems
- Help with lost luggage and documents
- State-of-the-art assistance system
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About us Born 40 years ago, our company has been providing comprehensive assistance services to travelers ever since. Our global operations serve customers across five continents through our 24/365 multilingual call centers located across the world. Starting March 2018, Universal Assistance is part of Cover-More Group, the travel assistance and travel insurance division of Zurich Insurance Group. In the event of a health mishap, legal problem, loss of luggage, passport or documents, a simple phone call sets into motion the most state-of-the-art assistance system.
Costa Cruises
Manage your entire cruise experience, from booking and itinerary planning to onboard activities and expense tracking. Stay connected with travel companions and access exclusive promotions.
- Manage C|Club profile and points
- Book new cruises
- View detailed itineraries and excursions
- Explore ship layouts
- Access onboard promotions
- Book onboard dining and excursions
- Browse daily activities and save events
- In-app chat with companions
- Digital emergency drill
- Real-time expense monitoring
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Your cruise at your fingertips. Costa App is simple, convenient and gives you the chance to enjoy your cruise at its best. ON LAND Log in with your booking number or C|Club membership and manage: - YOUR PROFILE | Easily access your C|Club profile to view your updated point balance, privileges and discounts, or see your past cruises. - BOOK YOUR CRUISE | Look for your ideal cruise and buy it directly from the APP - YOUR ITINERARY | Check how long is left to your departure. Discover the complete itinerary and available excursions in advance. Explore the ship's bridges to find: Restaurants, bars, lounges and the precise location of your cabin. ON BOARD: Connect to the ship's network, log in with your Costa Card or C|Club membership and manage: - DEDICATED PROMOTIONS | Only for those with the App and who have given consent to receive notifications, promotions and personalized communications not to be missed. - BOOKINGS | Book your special dinners in the themed restaurants, purchase your excursions and Internet packages to get on the ship's network and be always connected. - OGGI A BORDO | Browse all scheduled activities on the Diario di bordo. Discover locations and timings and save your favorite events directly into MyAgenda, your personalized calendar that also shows your bookings. - CHAT | Don't miss out on any message from your travel companions or the new friends you met on the cruise. - DIGITAL EMERGENCY DRILL | Conveniently complete the important and compulsory emergency drill from your smartphone. - MY EXPENSES | Monitor your expenses in real time, download the reminder with all expense items and stay updated. Costa App is available on all our ships. For any issue with the Costa App please contact us at the following email info@europe.costa.it App Accessibility Information: https://www.costacrociere.it/content/dam/costa-app/common/ada-assets/Costa_App_iOS_Accessibility_Statement_EN.pdf
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Universal Assistance at 4.5 against Costa Cruises's 2.8. Universal Assistance also leads on ratings volume (420 vs 40) and review sentiment (25% vs 16%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Universal Assistance holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Universal Assistance has 420 ratings behind it against 40, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Universal Assistance's written reviews are positive against 16% of Costa Cruises's.
Universal Assistance ships an update monthly, Costa Cruises every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.
| Parameter | Universal Assistance | Costa Cruises |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (420 ratings) — better | 2.8 (40 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 24.9% of reviews — better | 16.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 420 — better | 40 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 195 MB | 117 MB |
| Age rating | +12 | 4+ |
| Developer | Universal Assistance S.A. | Costa Crociere S.p.A. |
Customer experience
Universal Assistance
Costa Cruises
In-app purchases
Universal Assistance
No in-app purchases
Costa Cruises
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Universal Assistance free?
Is Costa Cruises free?
Which has better reviews, Universal Assistance or Costa Cruises?
Do Universal Assistance or Costa Cruises have ads?
Which is updated more often, Universal Assistance or Costa Cruises?
Other comparisons
