# American Explorer vs Cast About Compass

The clearest difference is rating: Cast About Compass at 5.0 against American Explorer's 3.4. American Explorer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (17 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cast About Compass sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. American Explorer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Cast About Compass holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: American Explorer has 17 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

American Explorer ships an update every 3 weeks, Cast About Compass every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | American Explorer | Cast About Compass |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/american-explorer/id6771463879/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cast-about-compass/id6783982005/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **17** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 17 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [American Cruise Lines](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896781089) | [Robert Hoeffner](https://appshunter.io/developer/6783982187) |

## What reviewers say

### American Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/american-explorer/id6771463879)

This official cruise line app provides easy access to daily schedules, shore excursions, dining menus, and ship information. Enhance your cruise experience with real-time updates and connectivity.

**Highlights:** Daily schedules, Shore excursion details, Dining menus, Ship information, Real-time updates, Connectivity

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cast About Compass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cast-about-compass/id6783982005)

Effortlessly organize complex trips by automatically parsing travel confirmations from your email. View your itinerary day-by-day, access important documents offline, and share your journey with companions. It also functions as a travel journal and allows you to send digital postcards.

**Highlights:** Automatic itinerary building from email, Offline access to travel documents, Integrated travel journal, Digital postcard sending, Trip sharing with companions, Detailed day-by-day trip breakdown

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cast About Compass Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Compass Premium Annual | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is American Explorer free?

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

### Is Cast About Compass free?

Cast About Compass is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, American Explorer or Cast About Compass?

Cast About Compass is rated higher. American Explorer averages 3.4 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Cast About Compass averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do American Explorer or Cast About Compass have ads?

Neither American Explorer nor Cast About Compass shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, American Explorer or Cast About Compass?

American Explorer ships an update every 3 weeks, and Cast About Compass every 2 weeks. Most recently, American Explorer was updated on November 5, 2026 and Cast About Compass on October 31, 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.*