Boat Watch vs Cruise Ship Tracker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Boat Watch
Track ships and boats globally in real-time. Identify vessels, view their details, and receive alerts for arrivals and departures. Explore nautical charts and use augmented reality for an enhanced viewing experience.
- Real-time AIS ship tracking
- Vessel identification and details
- Favorite boat tracking
- Arrival and departure alerts
- Augmented reality view
- Nautical chart integration
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Ever wanted to know more about ships and boats, or track a vessel around the globe? Boat Watch lets you spot and identify boats and ships in an instant. The Pro In-App purchase even sends you alerts when a boat you track sets sail or arrives - perfect for people with loved ones at sea, for tracking ferries and rescue vessels - or following cargo across the world! Boat Watch is free to use for 1 month and offers... * Spot any boat or ship via real-time AIS network * See the name, type and destination of each vessel * Set any boat as a favorite, and track it on the map * Search and find boats and places After 1 month a Pro upgrade is needed to continue getting live ship positions. Pro upgrade ( lifetime or yearly subscription):- * Real-time ship positions updates * Full boat information - picture, speed, where its from, etc. * Show boats' recent tracks * Set multiple favorite boats, to find them easily * Get alerts when a tracked boat arrives or departs * OpenSeaMap charts with buoys, lighthouses & shipping lanes * Filter ships on type to declutter the view and show more vessels of the type required. 3 other optional IAP upgrades are also available:- Live View upgrade ( one time purchase):- *Augmented Reality view to identify and spot boats using your camera *View boats true to scale and with Apple Maps amazing 3D views when zoomed in PortWatch (subscription):- - set a radar alarm ring around an area (0.5 to 10nm) - get notified when any ship is entering or exiting a port or area. Early alert for all ferries, cruise or cargo ships arriving at a port. - alerts when ships are passing or approaching a location. Great for folks who live by the water and want to know when a ship is approaching. You can set your gps position or the current map centre as the PortWatch location and the radar alert range from 0.5nm to 10nm. Fleet upgrade ( subscription): * Fleet - set and receive arrival and departure alerts for multiple boats Boat Watch also gives you the option to buy official NOAA nautical charts for the US and UKHO Admiralty derived charts for the UK&IE so you get the same view of the ocean as the ship's navigator. See the shipping channels, buoys, lights and hazards and why a ship is taking a particular route. Our ship coverage is global and amongst the best in the world. You can find out how our system works and check our coverage here :- http://pocketmariner.com/coverage Pocket Mariner are committed to providing great customer service and continually improve our Boat Watch apps. If you have any questions please email us via help@pocketmariner.com and we'll be happy to help. Terms of Use: http://seanav.net/termsofuse.php Privacy Policy: http://seanav.net/privacy.php Support: help@pocketmariner.com Subscriptions:- Pro and Fleet upgrade" subscriptions are yearly and will automatically renew at the end of the subscription period unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase, and will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed by the iTunes account holder and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to Account Settings after purchase. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period NOT FOR NAVIGATION Boat Watch should only be used for basic navigation reference and should not be solely relied upon to determine precise locations, proximity, distance, or direction.
Cruise Ship Tracker
Track cruise ships globally in real-time, view port webcams, and manage your cruise history. Plan upcoming trips with checklists and countdown widgets, and check live weather conditions at sea.
- Real-time ship tracking on map
- Cruise port information and webcams
- Personal cruise logbook
- Countdown widgets for upcoming cruises
- Cruise planning checklists
- Live weather and conditions at sea
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Your Complete Cruise Companion Track any cruise ship across the globe in real-time. CruiseKick puts the entire cruise world at your fingertips—from live ship positions to port webcams to your personal cruise logbook. LIVE SHIP TRACKING Follow ships from every major cruise line as they sail the seas. See exact positions on the map, current speed, heading, and voyage details. Discover nearby vessels and watch ships arrive and depart from ports around the world. CRUISE PORTS WORLDWIDE Explore thousands of cruise ports with detailed information, docked ships, and live webcams. Preview your next destination before you arrive or check conditions at ports across the globe. Save your favorite ports for quick access. MY CRUISES LOGBOOK Log your past voyages and plan future adventures. Keep a complete record of your cruise history—ships, dates, destinations, and memories. Add upcoming cruises and watch the countdown to your next departure. COUNTDOWN WIDGETS Add beautiful countdown widgets to your home screen. See exactly how many days until your next cruise at a glance. Customize with different styles and watch the excitement build as departure day approaches. CRUISE PLANNING TOOLS Stay organized with built-in to-do lists and planning checklists. Create custom lists for packing, shore excursions, or anything you need. Never forget an important task before you set sail. WEATHER & CONDITIONS Check real-time weather for any ship at sea, including temperature, wind, and wave height. Perfect for tracking conditions on your upcoming voyage or following friends and family. MORE FEATURES • Powerful search to find any cruise ship instantly • Save favorite ships for quick access • Dark mode for comfortable nighttime browsing • Beautiful design crafted for iOS Whether you're tracking a loved one at sea, planning your next voyage, or simply dreaming of the open ocean, CruiseKick is the ultimate app for cruise enthusiasts. Download now and start exploring! FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q: What is the best app to track cruise ships? A: CruiseKick shows real-time positions for ships from every major cruise line, with live maps, speed, heading, and port arrival details. Q: How can I find out where a cruise ship is right now? A: Search for any ship by name in CruiseKick and see its live position on the map, along with current speed and destination. Q: Is there an app to track my family on a cruise? A: CruiseKick lets you follow any cruise ship in real-time, so you always know where your loved ones are at sea. Q: What is the best cruise countdown app? A: CruiseKick includes home screen countdown widgets, a cruise logbook, and built-in planning checklists to get ready for your voyage. Q: How do I find what ships are in port today? A: Browse any cruise port in CruiseKick to see which ships are currently docked, plus live webcams and port details. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION CruiseKick is a subscription app, and a CruiseKick Plus subscription is required to use it. Choose a weekly or yearly auto-renewing plan. Eligible new subscribers start with a 3-day free trial, and the plan's price is charged when the trial ends. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase, or when the free trial ends. Your subscription renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the current period ends, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. You can manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula Privacy Policy: https://velocityraptor.co/app-privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Boat Watch at free with in-app purchases against Cruise Ship Tracker's subscription. Boat Watch also leads on ratings volume (3.8K vs 361). Cruise Ship Tracker's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks) and review sentiment (50% vs 38%). On price, rating, 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. Boat Watch sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year and Cruise Ship Tracker sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Boat Watch holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Boat Watch has 3.8K ratings behind it against 361, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 38% of Boat Watch's written reviews are positive against 50% of Cruise Ship Tracker's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Boat Watch ships an update every 6 weeks, Cruise Ship Tracker every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Boat Watch | Cruise Ship Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (3.8K ratings) — better | 4.4 (361 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 37.8% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3.8K — better | 361 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | #156 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 17.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 108 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pocket Mariner Ltd. | Velocity Raptor Incorporated |
Customer experience
Boat Watch
Cruise Ship Tracker
Bugs and requests
Boat Watch
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes and freezes
- Inability to track ships in certain regions
- Incorrect ship positions and directions
Requested features
4 requests- Route history for ships
- Improved cruise ship tracking
- Automatic notifications for ship movements
- More detailed ship information
Cruise Ship Tracker
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Boat Watch
- PortWatch$1.991 Year
- BoatWatch Pro upgrade$1.991 Year
- Fleet Upgrade$5.991 Year
- Full Version Upgrade$4.99
- Live View$4.99
- NOAA US Charts$4.99
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- UK & IE Marine Charts$4.99
Cruise Ship Tracker
- Weekly$6.997 Days
- Yearly (Secret Discount)3 Days trial$9.991 Year
- Monthly Pass$9.991 Month
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- Yearly3 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Lifetime.$9.99
- Plus One-Month$19.99
- Lifetime$29.99
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- Lifetime$49.99
Questions
Is Boat Watch free?
Is Cruise Ship Tracker free?
Which has better reviews, Boat Watch or Cruise Ship Tracker?
Do Boat Watch or Cruise Ship Tracker have ads?
Which is updated more often, Boat Watch or Cruise Ship Tracker?
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