America's cruise boom keeps growing
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Illustration: Tiffany Herring/Axios
Americans across income levels are flocking to cruise vacations despite economic anxiety and broader travel headwinds.
Why it matters: Cruises are one of the travel industry's most resilient sectors — drawing younger travelers and value-conscious consumers even as other parts of the vacation economy show signs of strain.
Driving the news: New Bank of America data found cruise spending rose across all income groups in the first four months of 2026, compared to the same period a year earlier.
- That's unlike spending on flights and hotels, where lower-income spending declined.
The big picture: About 77% of Americans plan to travel this summer, up from 74% last year, according to Bank of America's annual summer travel outlook survey.
- But many lower-income consumers are still pulling back on discretionary travel spending: Nearly 40% of lower-income households say they have no summer travel plans, according to BofA data.
Cruises have been the exception. Lower-income households spent more than 5% more on cruises in the four month period than they did a year ago, according to BofA's credit and debit card data.
- Cruise spending from middle and higher-income households, meanwhile, increased by about 10% — outpacing their spending growth on flights and lodging.
- More than one-third of Americans say they plan to take a cruise in the next 12 months — and among Gen Z, that jumps to 57%, according to the bank's summer travel outlook survey.
That's building on a record year in 2025: Global ocean-going cruise passengers hit a record 37.2 million last year, up 7.5% from 2024, according to Cruise Lines International Association data.
Between the lines: Cruises appear to be benefiting from travelers seeking experiences that feel easier to budget for amid broader economic uncertainty.
- Courtney Alev, consumer financial advocate at Intuit Credit Karma, told Axios many Americans are still prioritizing travel despite financial pressure and are looking for trips with more predictable upfront costs.
- "That mindset may make more predictable or bundled options, like cruises, appealing," Alev said.
- Travelers are also booking earlier and hunting harder for deals as costs rise.
What we're watching: The findings largely predate recent headlines about illnesses at sea, including norovirus outbreaks and a rare hantavirus cluster tied to an expedition cruise.
- During BofA's media briefing this week ahead of the survey, analysts said they have not yet seen "meaningful impact" from hantavirus concerns on cruise purchases.
- Gene Sloan, cruise team lead at The Points Guy, told Axios he is "not seeing any impact at all on cruise bookings," adding that travelers appear far more focused on rising airfare and fuel costs than hantavirus fears.
What they're saying: Cruise Lines International Association told Axios its member cruise lines operate under comprehensive health and safety policies designed to "detect, prevent, and mitigate illness."
The bottom line: Americans may be pulling back elsewhere, but cruises remain a vacation many consumers still believe they can afford.
