Upgrade to SI Premium - Free Trial

Cruise card spending jumps 15.8% in April, Bank of America data shows

May 13, 2026 5:14 AM

Investing.com -- Monthly cruise spending in April increased 15.8% year-over-year, according to aggregated credit and debit card data from Bank of America, rebounding from March's 6.7% growth rate.

On a sequential basis, cruise spending in April declined 8.1% compared to March, which was above the 2023-2025 average sequential decline of 12.7%.

The April rebound follows a period of slower bookings in March amid geopolitical uncertainty. Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL) stated during its April 30 earnings call that bookings had "turned the corner," which appears to align with the Bank of America spending data.

April's year-over-year comparison benefited from easier comparisons, though the sequential trend showed improvement relative to historical patterns.

Bank of America's aggregated cruise card spending data has shown approximately 75% correlation with industry net yields on a one-quarter lag since 2008, excluding the pandemic period.

Categories

General News