Disney Cruise Line Will Not Sail in Australia and New Zealand When the Season Ends in February 2026

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We were expecting it.

But now the news is official.

Disney Cruise Line has confirmed that they will not be returning to Australia and New Zealand when the present season ends in February 2026.

When Disney Cruise Line announced at the 2022 D23 Expo that the Disney Wonder would be sailing to Australia, the excitement was palpable and anticipation was widespread, with many booking on the first day that the cruises were released.

However, things changed and DCL never really was the success that they had hoped..

Now after a lot of rumor and speculation it has been officially confirmed that Disney will not be returning to Australia. The announcement says “for now” but realistically it is difficult to see when in the near future things may change enough for DCL to consider another season in Australia and New Zealand.

It became very clear that this was likely to happen when Disney announced a blanket 30% off sale for all the October 2025 to February 2026 sailings. This was unprecedented in the history of DCL – to discount every cruise in a whole season.

There were no doubt many factors that went into this decision – but at the end of the day, the bottom line must have been money.

The exchange rate has made an already expensive cruise seem even more prohibitive for Australians. The prices to book a cruise and on board the ship were all in US dollars – and this made it out of reach for most Australians.

Also many Australian consumers have expressed frustration regarding Disney’s tipping policy.

Unlike the customary tipping culture in the United States, Australians are generally not accustomed to the practice of tipping, and the additional charge of $16.00 per person per day for gratuities understandably did not sit well with many.

Disney Adventure may prove to be an alternative for Australian guests – she is set to sail from Singapore at the end of the year.