They arrived with a splash but just three years later Disney Cruise Line is making a much quieter exit out of Australian waters. With rumours swirling about Disney abandoning their cruises out of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, the company confirmed to Yahoo that this season will be their last.
The impressive Disney Wonder, with the company’s iconic black, red and gold hull, will be moving on from Australia and New Zealand after February 2026.
“We are currently going to be sailing in the Australia and New Zealand region up until February 2026. We will not return for the 2026/2027 season,” Tristan, from Disney Cruise Line’s shoreside guest services leadership team, told Yahoo on Saturday morning.
“However, we’re always looking at different destinations to explore with our guests, along with our crew members. Sailings from Australia and New Zealand remain on our list for future consideration, however since future itineraries have not been released past the 2026/2027 season, we’re not able to make any comments on that regrettably.”
It’s the second shake-up on the Australian cruising scene in recent months, after P&O’s ships were taken over and rebranded by Carnival earlier this year.
The Disney Wonder has been removed from schedules in Australia’s biggest ports. Source: Getty
It’s no secret that Australians love cruising. In fact, Australia is considered one of the leading cruise markets in the world. But even with one-in-20 Aussies going on a cruise in 2024, it still wasn’t enough to keep Disney cruising around our shores.
So what went wrong? While Disney could not comment on the reasons behind its decision, one cruise expert weighed in on the possible factors.
Adrian Tassone, the face of one of the country’s most popular cruise blogs The Cruise and Travel Guy, told Yahoo News the high fares likely played a role in the decision-making of Aussie travellers.
“They definitely came in a lot higher than their local competition,” he said.
“Perhaps there was an impression that they could run off that brand recognition, a name to provide people with a really unique cruise experience in our market that we haven’t seen before. But I think the price put people off.”
Another contributing factor, Adrian said, is that Disney ships often don’t stop at a destination. The idea is that the ship itself is the destination.
Currently, to book a four-night cruise from Sydney to Hobart and back with Disney, a balcony room for two guests is priced at $4992. Comparatively, a five-night sailing to Hobart in a balcony room with budget cruise line Carnival costs $2008 for two guests.
Adrian has sailed on the Disney Wonder before, and while he said he was pleasantly surprised with onboard experience — in particular the adults-only spaces — it still wasn’t enough to justify the cost.
Signs hinted at Disney’s departure
Speculation about Disney sailing away from Australia permanently amplified in recent weeks after the Disney Wonder disappeared from the cruise ship schedules in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
“It doesn’t make sense, especially in a place like Sydney, in particular, [bookings] are quite difficult to come by. It would be strange for a cruise line to remove themselves,” Adrian said.
Even before the bookings were removed, some noticed the fare prices were being discounted for long periods, which “isn’t typical” for Disney.
“They pretty much ran their entire Australian season with a promotional sale. And apparently, around the world that’s not a typical thing,” Adrian said.
Rumours of Disney’s departure left their cruise fans devastated, with many hoping the news wouldn’t be true.
“I’m so sad about this,” one woman wrote.
“Very sad to see she won’t be returning to our shores but also not shocked,” another said.
Others said they also weren’t surprised, given the cost of the fares.
Disney reiterated that Australia and New Zealand will both be considered again in the future, but couldn’t provide any further information for now.
Disney Adventure is one of the largest cruise ships in the world. It will begin sailing from Singapore in December. Source: Getty
Disney brings biggest cruise ship ever to Singapore
This December, Disney is launching the world’s biggest cruise liner, the Disney Adventure. The huge new ship will sail out of Singapore, which will soon be the closest port for Australians wanting to experience a Disney cruise.
The Adventure can carry around 6,000 passengers (more than double the occupancy of Carnival Adventure) and features seven themed ‘lands’.
The cruises on offer will primarily be three and four-night cruises, but will have no stops. Guests will stay on board the ship as it does a round trip at sea.
The cheaper rooms are already booked out for the Adventure’s maiden voyage on December 15, with a balcony room priced at $5,135 for two guests.
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