Comparison

Carnival HUB vs Aquatica

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Carnival HUB

Plan your cruise vacation before you go by booking excursions, packages, and checking in. Once onboard, access ship schedules, dining menus, deck plans, and communicate with fellow passengers. Internet purchase is not required for most features.

Highlights
  • Pre-cruise booking for excursions and packages
  • Digital check-in and boarding documents
  • Onboard event schedules and reminders
  • Dining menus and venue information
  • Deck plans and itinerary details
  • Onboard chat with friends and family
  • Virtual queue for skipping lines
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Use the Carnival HUB app to prepare for your cruise, explore and book shore excursions, spa treatments, drink packages and more. When the time comes, you may also check-in and obtain your boarding documents. As you board your ship, connect to Carnival’s Wi-Fi to view what’s happening, weather, dining menus and more! Onboard internet purchase is NOT required to use the Carnival HUB app. Before your cruise: • Load up on excursions, drink packages, spa treatments and more • Check-in and prepare your boarding documents • Share your cruise countdown with friends and family Once on board: • Chat to connect with family and friends on board. (Low, flat activation fee applies.) • Day-by-day schedule of hundreds of onboard events • Choose your favorite events and get reminders • Open times of food and drinks venues • Daily restaurant menus • Searchable deck plans with key areas highlighted • Itinerary details, including current ship time, arrival/departure times for upcoming ports of call • Real-time information on guests’ current Sail & Sign shipboard account balance • Weather for each day of your sailing • Find information like dining attire easily • Ability to view and purchase shore excursions • Order food and beverages for delivery almost anywhere on board (Fees apply.) • Check into a virtual queue and skip the line! We'll simply notify you when it's your turn Go ahead. Download it now. Your vacation deserves it.

About

Aquatica

Enhance your visit to Orlando or San Antonio theme parks with this free companion app. Plan your day, discover attractions, manage tickets, and make in-park purchases. Navigate with interactive maps and find amenities easily.

Highlights
  • Plan your park day
  • Discover attractions and amenities
  • Upgrade in-park experience
  • Interactive park maps with directions
  • Digital tickets and passes
  • Purchase add-ons and upgrades
Features
Read full description

The Aquatica App is your must-have in-park companion for your entire experience in Orlando or San Antonio. It’s free and easy to use. GUIDE • Plan your day in the park! • Discover park amenities including, animal experiences, water slides, cabanas and dining • Upgrade your in-park experience with a Quick Queue®, All Day Dining Deal or cabana reservations • Switch locations when traveling to other parks • View park hours for the day MY VISIT • Turn your phone into your ticket! • Access your Annual Passes and barcodes to use your discount in the park • Access your Pass Member benefits and information • View your purchases and barcodes for easy redemption BUY • Purchase in-park add-ons and upgrades to optimize your day MAPS • Get to the fun faster! • Explore our new interactive maps to see your location and nearby attractions • Find your way in the park with directions to nearby points of interest • Filter points of interest by type, including animal experiences, rides and cabanas • Locate the closest restroom, including family restrooms • Search the name of an attraction or point of interest to find exactly what you are looking for

Screenshots

Carnival HUB4 screens
Aquatica4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Carnival HUB at 82% against Aquatica's 49%. Carnival HUB also leads on ratings volume (458K vs 11K) and chart position (#61 vs unranked). Aquatica's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and device support (3 vs 1). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Aquatica holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Carnival HUB has 458K ratings behind it against 11K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 82% of Carnival HUB's written reviews are positive against 49% of Aquatica's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Carnival HUB ships an update monthly, Aquatica every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Carnival HUB versus Aquatica: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCarnival HUBAquatica
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (458K ratings)4.9 (11K ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.8% of reviews — better48.7% of reviews
Number of ratings458K — better11K
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#61 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size252 MB67 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCarnival CorporationSeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Inc.

Customer experience

Carnival HUB

All ratings455,682 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral3.9%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews3,860 reviews
Positive81.8%
Neutral7.8%
Negative10.5%

Aquatica

All ratings11,311 ratings
Positive98.5%
Neutral0.8%
Negative0.7%
Written reviews39 reviews
Positive48.7%
Neutral7.7%
Negative43.6%

User reviews

Carnival HUB

From 458K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Convenient app for cruise
  • 📋 Helpful for planning activities
  • 💳 Useful for tracking account
  • 💬 Chat feature for group communication
  • 🗺️ Provides ship maps and navigation

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Chat feature unreliable/glitchy
  • 🔍 Lack of search functionality
  • 🔌 Connectivity issues with WiFi
  • 💰 Paid chat feature considered overpriced
  • 🕰️ Notifications not always timely

Aquatica

From 11K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Enjoyable experience
  • 🗺️ Helpful map and navigation
  • 💅 Suitable for all ages
  • 🤑 Great value

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Unreliable ride times
  • 🤖 Poor app design and functionality
  • 🔗 Constant redirects to website
  • 🤔 Inconsistent pricing

Bugs and requests

Carnival HUB

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Account information not always accurate
  • Inconsistent performance across devices
  • Difficulty maintaining chat connections

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to add personal events to schedule
  • Integration with ship's medical/safety systems
  • Offline access to account and folio information
  • Enhanced dining reservation and management
  • Improved group coordination and location sharing

Aquatica

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes and glitches
  • Inability to link passes
  • Nonfunctional features

Requested features

4 requests
  • E-ticket integration
  • Personalized experience for different groups
  • Videos and media content
  • Calendar and hours information

In-app purchases

None

Carnival HUB

No in-app purchases

None

Aquatica

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Carnival HUB free?
Carnival HUB is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Aquatica free?
Aquatica is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Carnival HUB or Aquatica?
Aquatica is rated higher. Carnival HUB averages 4.7 out of 5 from 458K ratings, while Aquatica averages 4.9 from 11K ratings.
Do Carnival HUB or Aquatica have ads?
Neither Carnival HUB nor Aquatica shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Carnival HUB or Aquatica?
Carnival HUB ships an update monthly, and Aquatica every 5 weeks. Most recently, Carnival HUB was updated on October 26, 2026 and Aquatica on October 26, 2026.

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