Why Disney Cruises failed in Australia – and how it means our capacity will be down 38% 

• Disney has confirmed that it won’t return to Australian waters for the 2026/27 season.
• High prices, uninspiring itineraries and a lack of a marketing drive stopped Disney from flourishing in Australia.
• And, as a statement reveals, the advent of the Disney Adventure in Singapore meant it was always likely to happen.

When Disney first announced it would be sailing in Australia, it was a truly electric moment for the cruise and travel industry across the country. The energy was palpable as travel agents reported their phones ringing off the hook and the cruise community filled with excitement. 

Now just two years later, Disney has confirmed that the upcoming season will be its last in Australia, at least for the time being.

Not that Disney Cruise Line actually issued a statement in Australia. Initially, the news was broken by someone called Tristan from the shoreside guest services leadership team, who told Yahoo: “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.”

This was followed today by a fuller statement which linked the removal with the upcoming launch of the Disney Adventure in Singapore.

Here’s what it said:

So how did endless waves of excitement wash away into low sales and the end of Australian itineraries for Disney? The reality is that many in the industry have been tipping this for some time.

Why Disney didn’t make it in Australia 

Cruise Lines International Association Australasia MD Joel Katz blames government regulation and high costs for the pullout. It’s been a problem for years and has seriously affected Australia’s cruise capacity.

Cruise Passenger was first to break the capacity crisis as major lines either sent fewer ships Down Under like Princess, or sent smaller ships with fewer cabins. The result, after Disney, is that, compared to the 23/24 season, the 26/27 drop in capacity is now 38%.

Last November several cruise travel agents expressed some concerns to Cruise Passenger about the viability and future of Disney Cruise Line in Australia, and time has quickly proved them right.

Kelly Henderson a CLIA Cruise Ambassador and cruise agent said the core issue lay with pricing.

“Pricing is unachievable. A two-night cruise from Sydney starts at $750+ per person for an interior.  That’s $375 per person per night for the lowest category room.  You can sail on a balcony and some suites on other cruise lines from Sydney for the same price, if not less.  

“Furthermore, onboard prices are in USD. And while this is the same for Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, it all adds up.

“While I have heard the fun on board for kids and adults alike is incredible, I feel, overall, unless these things change a little Disney may not fill up for her seasons.”

Disney Cruise Line may bring a unique specialty to the cruising world, but at the end of the day they’re still a family cruise line, and it appears Aussie families just couldn’t justify forking out so much money for their cruise. 

A Carnival cruise, which can prove significantly cheaper than visiting a top holiday destination such as the Gold Coast, is a popular repeat holiday for Aussie families, who will jump on their yearly cruise.

While Aussie families might be able to put together the money for one Disney cruise, the prices put it out of reach from being a regular holiday. 

Rebecca Mason, owner of Mr Chocolate’s Travel, a travel and cruise agency which specialises in Disney-based trips, has also told Cruise Passenger that a lack of marketing and sensitivity to the Aussie market seemed to be holding Disney back.

“Some people are only just realising that the Disney Cruise Line is sailing in Australian waters. Perhaps with more positive media coverage, awareness, and some scheduling changes to suit both the Australian, New Zealand and international markets, the Disney Cruise Line itineraries will be at full capacity as they were in the 2023/24 season.”

While Australia is the fourth biggest cruise markets in the world, but compared to the other largest markets such as the USA, UK, Germany or Japan, we have a smaller population.

Australia manages to be one of the world’s leading cruise markets not because it has an endless line of new cruises, but because of the loyalty of Aussie cruisers, who are known to take repeat cruises over and over again. 

Disney Cruise Line appears to have suffered the same fate as Virgin Voyages, for the same reason: people were excited to book a cruise once, but not again. 

Australian cruisers are often so loyal to lines such as Princess, Carnival or Royal Caribbean, that they simply won’t want to break from their routine and try a new line, and if they do, they’ll likely only do it once. 

The other crucial part of the Disney equation in Australia is Disney Adventure, the gigantic new Disney ship set to sail out of Singapore. 

Disney is clearly looking to build its regional focus around Adventure, which due to its massive 6700 passenger capacity can offer lower prices. 

Cruise Passenger has asked Disney for confirmation or a statement multiple times over recent weeks.

What could Disney have done differently? 

The reason that some international cruise lines might not find success in Australia compared to other destinations, often lies in the fact that they fail to recognise the unique sensibilities of Aussie cruisers and the Australian cruise climate, and rather just copy paste their offerings from other regions. 

• While many cruise lines operate in USD, they will still generally sell their cruises in AUD. This helps Aussies budget their cruise fare easier. Disney now does do this, but didn’t originally. Cruise lines like Royal Caribbean also offer special conversion rates for Aussies, so Aussie’s don’t feel like they’re losing out by having to spend in USD.
• While Australians love Disney as much as in other markets, Aussie’s are also adventurous. Disney’s bland itineraries have high ratios of sea days and rarely visit ports that are unique or new to Australian’s. These journeys weren’t enough to captivate Aussie cruisers. While the ships are the main attraction, Aussies still want ports on their cruises. 
• Domestic flights aren’t cheap in Australia and adding that price onto already expensive cruises just puts Disney further out of reach for lots of Aussies. Cruises out of Adelaide or Perth could have helped Disney buck the trend.
• Rotating the ship that was sailing here, offering more new features and shows, enhancing their loyalty program or any other number of solutions could have helped Disney entice more repeat cruisers, which any cruise line needs to succeed in the Aussie market. 
• As pointed out by the agents, Disney’s marketing wasn’t strong enough. Do to the loyalty of Aussie cruisers to the lines that have sailed here for years, it takes more than just the Disney brand to convince Aussies to try a new type of holiday. While initial excitement amongst cruisers was enough for a strong first season, low awareness amongst first-time cruisers and occasional cruisers would have also hurt sales. 

The time-line of Disney’s Australia undoing 

• In November last year, eyebrows were raised when not only did a travel agent confirm to Cruise Passenger that Disney Wonder sailed an Aussie itinerary at just 40% capacity, but also Disney slashed their prices to an unprecedented level, presumably to fill up cabins.
• The next important event came in the form of Disney Adventure announcing its first itineraries, with prices lower than those of Australia. 
• As question marks were raised over Disney’s future in Australia, there were theories that a new ship could have been coming our way. A new ship could potentially get repeat cruisers coming back to check out a new ship, but as we see now, it wasn’t to be.
• Disney once again rolled out discounts a few months ago, this time strategising by offering discounts to wholesalers. At this point there was still hope the 2026/27 season would go ahead, but more doubts were being raised.
• Next, Disney Wonder suddenly disappeared from the Melbourne port schedule for the 2026/27 season, raising serious questions about whether the season would go ahead. 
• Then the story became all but confirmed as Disney Wonder disappeared from Sydney’s cruise schedule as well, and travel agents began informing customers that the ship wouldn’t be coming back.
• Eventually, Disney reps apparently confirmed the news – though we are still awaiting the line actually putting out an official statement.