Reports say Disney Wonder won’t be returning to Australia next year

• The cruise community has been filled with speculation that Disney Wonder won’t be returning to Australia for the 2026/27 season.
• And now a statement reported by Yahoo and other media confirms the line is leaving Australian shores.
• It’s a blow to the Australian cruise, and again reduced home ported ship capacity.

Disney Cruise Lines appears to have confirmed the Disney’ Wonder’s season in 2025/26 will be her last in Australia.

According to Yahoo’s Kamilia Palu, Disney Wonder will be leaving Australia after February 2026.

Her report quotes “Tristan” from the line’s “shoreside guest services leadership team” as saying: “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.

“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.”

Cruise Passenger reported on Friday that previously scheduled visits have now been removed from the Sydney cruise schedule for the 2026/27, having already been removed from Melbourne’s.

If this does turn out to be the last season for Disney in Australia, there are surely many Aussies who will bite the bullet and book a cruise for this season, and those cruisers also deserve time to be able to plan and budget for their holiday. 

While Tristan’s comments appear to be the official line, it’s time for Disney to provide some clarity to Australian families and the cruise industry.

‘JaM Life Adventures’ reported last week their own interactions with Disney.

They are not only travel agents John and Maria that sell Disney cruises to Aussies, but also play a big role in Disney’s Australian cruise community, running the Facebook group ‘Disney cruising Australia’ which has around 25,000 members.

The couple confirmed to their Facebook group with a heavy heart that Disney had officially told them that Wonder would not be returning.

They wrote: “Today Maria rang Disney Cruise Line and identified herself as a Travel Agent as she does most days, to book people’s vacations. 

“She then said that she has several clients asking to book Disney Wonder for season 26/27 when it will be announced. Now, in the past, we were told as recently as yesterday, “We have no information on this”, and that was that, but today was different. The words used by a Disney Cruise Line Employee to a Travel Agent were “We can confirm that Disney Wonder will not be returning for a 2026/27 season.”

This doesn’t completely close the door on a different ship coming instead, even if it might not feel particularly likely right now. A new ship would be the best-case scenario, but here’s a summary of what could be to come.

Cruise Passenger has contacted Disney Cruises for a comment, but has yet to receive a response.