(Reuters) -Cruise operator Carnival Corp ( CCL ) raised its annual profit forecast on Friday, benefiting from higher ticket prices, resilient advance bookings and strong on-board customer spending.

Even though cruise ticket prices have ticked up in recent years, Americans have been more than willing to make early bookings for their getaways during the promotions-heavy "wave season", which started in January, and are also splurging heavily during their voyages.

This helped Carnival counter the rising costs of operations, including fuel and dock expenses and promotional costs.

"While we are not completely immune from the heightened macroeconomic and geopolitical volatility since providing our December guidance, we are still taking up our earnings expectations for the year," said Carnival CEO Josh Weinstein in a statement.

The company expects fiscal 2025 adjusted earnings per share of about $1.83, compared with its previous forecast of about $1.70 per share.

(Reporting by Neil J Kanatt in Bengaluru and Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)