There are many reasons why someone would want to track a cruise ship. Maybe you want to see the route it travels before you book a ticket. Or, if you have a friend or family member who is going on a cruise, then you might want to track the cruise ship’s voyage. Modern technology has already provided how to track a cruise ship anywhere in the world.
How to track a cruise ship? It is rather easy to track a cruise ship these days. Just go online and visit a ship-tracking website. An example is the Sailwx tracking page, which provides the current location of all types of ships in the world.
When you are already on its home page, just click the “cruise ship tracker” button on the top left corner to get to the cruise tracking page. Select the particular ship that you want to locate and click on it. It will lead you to the page that provides the current ship position in latitudes and longitudes.
Read on to learn more about how to track a cruise ship, including different websites and services you can use.
How to Track a Cruise Ship
To track a cruise ship, all you need is a computer connected to the internet. There are several applications available online, which are free to use. Sailwx is one example. This app can give you the current reported location of any cruise ship that you want to track.
Visit the Sailwx page, and you will find several items on its menu. At the top left corner of the landing page, you will find several menus. Click on the “cruise ship tracker,” and you will be led to the tracking page for cruise ships.
It seems that all of the latest corresponding positions of cruise ships are listed on this page. Click on the name of the ship that you want to locate, and the next page will give you the information you need. You can also use the “zoom in” and “zoom out” features of the cruise ship tracking page. Just click the name of the ship on the map, and the next page will show a bigger picture of the current position of the cruise ship.
Another way to track a cruise ship is to use your preferred internet browser. Type in the name of the cruise ship and add the word “tracker” on your search. Several tracking pages will appear on your search results. Choose one of these options, and you will be led to another page, where you will be provided with the current position of the cruise ship you want to track. Select and click on the appropriate buttons to get the information you want.
How to Track a Carnival Cruise Ship
Carnival is one of the most popular cruise liners today. However, it does not have a ship tracking app. If in case you know somebody who has booked a Carnival cruise, and you need to know where he or she is now, just follow these steps:
- Know the specific name of the Carnival Cruise liner.
- Visit the Sailwx website.
- Click on the “cruise ship tracking” button on the top left corner of the page.
- Look up the name of the Carnival ship on the list provided on the tracking page and click on it.
- You can also enter the Carnival cruise ship name on the “search for ship by name” box and click on “search.”
- A map will appear on the next page, indicating the name and location of the ship.
There is also a convenient zoom-in and zoom-out function by clicking on the respective buttons at the top of the map. At the top center of the map, you can adjust the number of tracking hours, which will decrease or increase the tracking history of the cruise ship.
How to Track a Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship
Royal Caribbean is one of the biggest cruise ship operators in terms of cruise ships in service. Currently, Royal has 26 cruise ships traveling the seas, mainly in the Caribbean.
Tracking its ships is essential to some people, not just the family members of its guests. Here is one way of tracking a specific Royal Caribbean cruise liner:
- Know the name of the Royal Caribbean cruise liner.
- Visit this website.
- The homepage of this website will show a drop-down list of the names of the Royal Caribbean cruise ships. There is also a map on the right side.
- Look up the name of the particular cruise ship that you want to track and click on it.
- A satellite map will appear on the next page showing the current location of that particular ship along with other useful information.
Websites That Can Help Track Cruise Ships for Free
Several websites offer free ship tracking services to those who need it. You can always choose one of these websites if you need to track the voyage of a cruise ship. If you only need the location of the ship at a specific time, the free marine tracking apps of these websites should suffice.
1. MarineTraffic
This website provides an excellent maritime tracking service because apart from the locations of the ships, it also gives other essential ship details, such as pictures and many more.
To use its tracking service, you need to register your name or your company. The tools of this website are fast loading. MarineTraffic has a mobile app for those who want to track their ship while they are on the go.
2. VesselFinder
This website uses a great tool for tracking marine vessels, making it one of the best marine tracking websites to date. VesselFinder provides the latest maritime news as well.
To use their free tracking service in greater detail, you need to register first. They have a mobile tracking app, which is also fast loading.
3. Equasis
Equasis is one of the best websites for tracking marine vessels because they provide more ship details. Their tool is designed to minimize substandard shipping.
You need to register to enjoy their tracking services. A mobile app can run the tracking services of Equasis while you are on the go.
Cruise Ship Trackers with Advanced Options and Service Fees
Here are some professional cruise ship trackers that charge service fees. Apart from showing you the current location of a cruise ship, these websites also provide other technical and important details of the routes that ships take. They may even show you some images of the ships.
1. Myshiptracking
If you want to know the real-time location of a cruise liner, Myshiptracking is what you need. This website is quite advanced and uses an extensive database where they get and supply data.
Aside from allowing you to track cruise ships and ports, Myshiptracking will help you analyze marine traffic all over the world. You can save your browsing data on this website as well. Android and iPhone users can also use the mobile app.
2. Ship Finder
Another ship tracking service that you can use is Ship Finder. This marine vessel tracker provides you with several search options, such as tonnage, ship number, ownership, capacity, construction, and so forth.
Ship Finder gathers ship feeds from the Automatic Identification System (AIS). It is used by ships more than 300 tons, small yachts, and passenger ships and provides information to their customers. This tracker also offers a better user experience because it enables the users to track their search history.
3. VT Explorer
Real-time AIS location data and other relevant technical information of over 100,000 marine vessels every day are what VT Explorer can provide to its users.
If you choose this tracker, you will get photos of the vessel you are tracking. You also have the option to use it on your desktop or mobile phone. This tracker service can analyze trading patterns by monitoring ship arrivals and schedules too.
4. MarineTraffic
This tracker has a paid version, which offers more advanced options than its free version. Apart from tracking marine vessels, it can also track the different ports all over the world.
This website claims that it operates over 2,000 AIS stations in more than 165 countries. Its registered users are now more than 600,000. This website gets 20 million visits per month.
5. CruiseMapper
You can use CruiseMapper to track cruise ships too. This tracker uses a database with information about cruise ships and their ports of call.
Apart from information about the schedules and positions of different cruise ships, CruiseMapper also provides features and technical information about every cruise ship on its database.
6. VesselTracker
VesselTracker is another website that offers a vast database of updated ship specifications, features, management, and ownership. There are over 1,000,000 ships on its database, which gives it the ability to provide customized information about the cruise ships’ real-time and historical data.
It can give map views and other layers like Google Earth, Google satellite, nautical charts, and many more. This website can also provide analytics and reports on port events and vessel movements with its extensive vessel database.
7. FleetMon
This website uses an open database of vessels and ports all over the world. It can be used for free. However, there is an option for advanced users for a certain fee.
FleetMon can provide real-time AIS location data of marine vessels. Its database contains comprehensive information about 500,000 ships. The information it provides includes schedules, specifications, port arrivals, trading patterns, and pictures, depending on the request of the user.
FleetMon Explorer, a feature of this website, provides the users with a real-time snapshot of the marine traffic. It can also give access to relevant data like logistics scheduling, operation information, traffic analysis, and fleet tracking, among many other things.
8. VesselFinder
This cruise tracking website has a paid service plan, which can provide the user with information on over 100,000 ships daily. It uses a network of AIS terrestrial receivers.
VesselFinder offers tracking services on social, digital, and mobile platforms. Its monitoring services are very efficient. You can get a detailed history of the voyages of each ship on its database.
It can provide you with historical AIS data services where you can customize vessel movements and perform traffic density analysis. This tracking service also provides video simulations of ship movements.
Why Is It Easier to Track Cruise Ships Now?
The advances in modern technology made it possible to develop new systems of real-time vessel monitoring. Satellite services have improved a lot, making it possible to track ships across the world. It has also improved the safety and security of vessels and their passengers.
We now have the vessel monitoring system (VMS), enabling efficient monitoring of marine vessels by ship owners and maritime agencies even for long periods.
The automatic identification system has made it possible to quickly identify and get real-time information about larger vessels crossing the world’s oceans.
Transponders are also installed on ships where the satellites can receive AIS signals, giving the position, speed, route, and type of ship through different platforms.
Plus, we have Google Earth, which has revolutionized the tracking process of marine vessels. We can now establish the position of a cruise ship within seconds.
Conclusion – How to Track a Cruise Ship?
Today, it is easy to track a cruise ship. Just use your laptop, connect it to the internet, and visit a ship-tracking website.
An example is the Sailwx tracking page, which can provide the real-time position of all types of ships in the world. When you are already on the site’s home page, click on the “cruise ship tracker” button, and you’ll be directed to the cruise tracking page.
Choose the particular ship that you need to track and click on it. It will lead you to the page that provides the ship’s current reported position (in latitude and longitude).
Related reading:
