As cruise ships become more connected with increasingly faster Internet access, ship-wide WiFi and a variety of pricing plans, more cruise travelers are bringing along and using their smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices.  The developers of travel apps know that too and are rolling out new, helpful applications with increasing frequency.  Let’s take a look at some top, new travel apps.

 

Pingspot
Pingspot’s virtual pinboard lets you and your friends flag the best restaurants, shops and hotels that you come across during your travels so you can avoid any inaccurate or off-the-mark suggestions. You can also easily create lists for specific purposes—say, the best bars in Cozumel, best sidewalk cafe’s in Budapest—from the spots your followers have recommended.

We like this one because it is easy to use (having a nice cup of coffee at a sidewalk cafe?  Ping it) and it has opened up a new social world called “pingspotting” that interfaces very nicely with Instagram.  So now, by using Pingspot we can post to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr with more than a photo.

 

Sunscreen
Some travelers associate a good suntan with having been on vacation.  To them, a golden brown tan means it was a good vacation and showing that suntan off at the office on return is a must. Sunshine not only makes everything look better, it makes us feel good too.

Unfortunately, ultraviolet (UV) rays in the sunlight can damage the cells in your body so we do everything we can to avoid getting burnt by the sun.

Sunscreen with its sunbathing timer, alarm, interactive UV Map forecast and comprehensive sunbathing guidelines will be the your first step in becoming a golden god or goddess.    Not sure when to re-apply that sunscreen?  SunscreenReapplyingApp can help with that.

 

Google Translate  (android only)
Throw out all your other translation apps, Google hit a home run with Google Translate.  Not that we need the ability to translate 80 languages, but Google Translate has the ability to do so.   Also handy, the app translates speech and handwriting with ever-increasing accuracy.

Critical to this type of app, it works offline when users store their favorite translations and lets them hear their translations spoken out loud.

Tip:  Before leaving the country, find and store translations for:

• How much?
• Where is the toilet?
• Hello
• Good bye
• Thank You
• Beer? (or other favorite beverage)

 

Onavo Extend
Onavo Extend saves your mobile data so you can do more of what you love on your phone without spending more on your bill by compressing all the data you download over 3G, EDGE and LTE, including images and texts. Once the Onavo Extend app is installed, it works in the background when you use mobile data to find ways to save.

Great features:

• Loads images when you scroll down to them so you don’t use valuable data on images you’ll never see.
• Presents reports that break down how you’re using data by apps and other mobile activities so you can keep track of where you’re spending your monthly data allowance.
• Balances image quality and data savings based on your settings so you’re always in control of how much data you use
• Automatically turns itself off when you connect to Wi-Fi

 

AwayFind
To many travelers, about the last thing they want to see is work email while on vacation.  Still, an exception is made for ultra important messages from the real world.  AwayFind sorts through email, sending along only the very most important.  When you receive an important message, AwayFind will notify you on your mobile phone with an SMS, phone call or AwayFind iPhone & Android apps.

This one will cost you ($5/month)  Click here for free trial.

This one is great for travelers who must stay connected to important people and important topics in real life while at sea. Get alerted to just these emails and save your attention for what matters. The rest can wait, rather than eat up precious vacation time.  See more in this video:

Don’t Forget The Cruise Line App
Also before that next cruise, check with your cruise line to see if they have a dedicated app that can be used on board. Many do and offer free zones for passengers to check their onboard accounts, book a shore excursion, surf the cruise line web site or check the ship’s daily newsletter and more.