Embarkation vs Cruising Along
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Embarkation
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Embarkation goes with your cruise before, during and after the trip: ports and weather, packing, excursions, crew and memories, all in one place. Choose • Find your next cruise by destination, month, length, budget or cruise line, with filters picked “For you”. • Sort by price, departure date, number of nights or price per night. • Spot the real price drops: the biggest of the last few days, old price struck through, under “Deals” with a free account. • See the itinerary on the map and indicative prices per cabin, collected every day. • Request a quote with no commitment: a partner travel agency replies by email. Before you sail • Already booked? Pick the ship, then the date: we find your ports of call. • A countdown and the steps to take at the right time: passports, insurance, online check-in. • The weather at each port, even when its day is estimated: seasonal normals, then the 5-day forecast. • Pack without forgetting a thing: the departure list in your language and AI-written tips based on the weather, added to your list in one tap. • Excursions at every port, fitted to your time ashore, with our partner GetYourGuide. • Bring your crew aboard: your loved ones join you with a code or a link. On board • Your cruise, day by day: day 3 of 7, the ship’s live position and speed, its wake over the last 24 hours. • Keep the logbook with your crew: photos, a few words, the mood of the day. • On-board bingo: a towel animal, the captain’s dinner, dolphins… • Your cruises and memories stay readable when the ship’s Wi-Fi drops. Back home • Your memories, cruise by cruise: an album shared with your crew or kept for yourself. • An animated recap to relive the trip: miles sailed, ports, highlights. • A cruise added afterwards counts in your passport once verified with a photo of your cruise card. • Embarkation passengers you crossed paths with on board: a number, never a name without consent. All year round • Your cruiser passport: stamps and counters, to share as a story with an invite QR code. • Invite your loved ones and earn your stripes, from Cadet to Admiral. • Ships, live: more than 200 cruise ships on the world map, your favorites in “My fleet”. Data and partners • Explore the catalog without an account. With an account, also see the price drops and find your cruises on all your devices and on the web. • Your phone’s location stays on the device: the app only uses it to show the ships nearby. • An AI writes the packing tips and excursion ideas, without any personal data. • A cruise card photo is only used to verify the cruise: an AI reads it, then it is deleted. • Weather: Open-Meteo. Ships: public AIS signals. Excursions: GetYourGuide partner links, Embarkation may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. • Free, with no subscription and no ads. In English and French. Fair winds!
Cruising Along
Organize all your cruise vacation details in one app. Track current and past trips, manage bookings, and share countdowns with friends. Integrates travel plans and loyalty programs for a complete cruise management experience.
- Cruise planning and booking management
- Interactive cruise calendar
- Real-time active cruise tracking
- Cruise portfolio and history
- Ship collection tracking
- Friend sharing and collaboration
- Travel integration (flights, trains, cars)
- Loyalty program management
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Cruising Along – Your Ultimate Cruise Vacation Tracker Plan, track, and share your cruise adventures in one place. Whether you're a seasoned cruiser or planning your first voyage, Cruising Along keeps every detail organized and easy to find. Smart Cruise Management - Add and edit cruises with ship, cruise line, dates, ports, cabin info, and booking numbers - Interactive calendar with all your cruise dates at a glance - Search by ship, cruise line, ports, excursions, or travel arrangements Real-Time Active Cruise Tracking - Live itinerary: current cruise day, port times, and activities - Today’s agenda and tomorrow’s preview - Clear progress through your sailing Cruise Portfolio Dashboard - Countdowns to upcoming cruises with shareable countdown cards - Full history of past cruises and quick stats - Search across cruises, ports, excursions, and travel details Ship Collection - Track which ships you’ve sailed by cruise line - See sailed, booked, and under-construction ships with progress and stats - Build your fleet and see how much of each line you’ve experienced Friends & Sharing - Add friends by email or username and choose access: Full (see your whole calendar) or Restricted (only cruises you share) - View friends’ cruise calendars and share specific cruises with restricted friends - Traveling companions: see when friends are on the same ship and sail date - Calendar overlay: compare your calendar with a friend’s to find dates you’re both free and plan your next cruise together - In-app notifications for friend requests Travel Integration - Log flights, trains, rental cars, and other travel - Store flight numbers, schedules, pickup locations, and reservation details with your cruise Social Sharing - Create countdown images for Facebook, Instagram Stories, and more - Share via your device’s share sheet Loyalty Program Management - Track status across multiple cruise lines and keep tier levels up to date Perfect For - Cruise enthusiasts, travel planners, memory keepers, and anyone who wants to share countdowns and plan cruises with friends. Getting Started - Create your account, add past and upcoming cruises, set up travel and excursions, track active cruises in real time, build your ship collection, connect with friends, and share your countdown. Download Cruising Along and transform how you plan and share your cruise vacations.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Cruising Along at fortnightly against Embarkation's every 3 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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.
Embarkation ships an update every 3 months, Cruising Along fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.
| Parameter | Embarkation | Cruising Along |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 56 MB | 42 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Minuit 11 | Cruising Along |
In-app purchases
Embarkation
No in-app purchases
Cruising Along
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Embarkation free?
Is Cruising Along free?
Do Embarkation or Cruising Along have ads?
Which is updated more often, Embarkation or Cruising Along?
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