# CruiseMapper vs Venture Ashore

The clearest difference is rating: Venture Ashore at 5.0 against CruiseMapper's 3.6. Venture Ashore also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 5 months). CruiseMapper's advantage is ratings volume (122 vs 2). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Venture Ashore holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CruiseMapper has 122 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

CruiseMapper ships an update every 5 months, Venture Ashore every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CruiseMapper | Venture Ashore |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (122 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cruisemapper/id1032294427/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/venture-ashore/id6761630381/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **122** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 36.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 38 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AstraPaging Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/438160792) | [Frienzy Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1652983784) |

## What reviewers say

### CruiseMapper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cruisemapper/id1032294427)

Discover and plan your next vacation with a comprehensive database of cruises. Explore detailed itineraries, port schedules, ship reviews, and real-time ship locations. Find your ideal cruise from thousands of options across numerous cruise lines and ships.

**Highlights:** Detailed itineraries and port schedules, Cruise ship reviews and videos, Current position of cruise ships, Special features and technical details, Database of cruise lines, ships, and cruises

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🗺️ Accurate real-time ship tracking
- 📍 Comprehensive ship location information
- 📋 Detailed itineraries and port schedules
- 🚢 Extensive database of cruise ships
- 🎨 Clean and intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 📍 Inaccurate ship location tracking
- 🔄 Slow or delayed location updates
- 🎯 Ships disappearing from map display
- 🔍 Difficulty zooming in/out on map

**Reported bugs**

- Ships disappear after a few seconds on map
- Cannot see ships unless searched individually
- Zoom functionality inverts (zooms out when trying to zoom in)
- App freezes when switching between ships
- Cannot tap on another ship while viewing one

**Requested features**

- Favorites section for frequently tracked ships
- Deck plans for all ship versions (iOS parity with Android)
- Show route feature on app (currently on website only)
- Filter options to hide river boats and ferries
- Ability to save/lock multi-segment cruise itineraries


### Venture Ashore

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/venture-ashore/id6761630381)

Discover and book curated shore excursions for cruises in over 500 destinations. Enjoy immersive experiences with charismatic guides and small groups, backed by guarantees for worry-free travel.

**Highlights:** Curated shore excursions, Over 500 destinations, Small group tours, Charismatic guides, Back To Ship Guarantee, Don't Port, Don't Pay Guarantee

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CruiseMapper free?

CruiseMapper is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Venture Ashore free?

Venture Ashore is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, CruiseMapper or Venture Ashore?

Venture Ashore is rated higher. CruiseMapper averages 3.6 out of 5 from 122 ratings, while Venture Ashore averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do CruiseMapper or Venture Ashore have ads?

CruiseMapper shows ads; Venture Ashore does not.

### Which is updated more often, CruiseMapper or Venture Ashore?

CruiseMapper ships an update every 5 months, and Venture Ashore every 4 weeks. Most recently, CruiseMapper was updated on October 22, 2026 and Venture Ashore on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*