More bad news for cruising as Disney pulls out of Australia

In more bad news for the Australian cruise scene, Disney Cruise Line has become the latest to announce it will no longer operate in Australia or New Zealand after Disney Wonder concludes its season here in February 2026.

The cruise line only began sailing in Australia in late 2023. The company is tight-lipped about why it is withdrawing and has politely (if unconvincingly) said it might return at some future date.

Australian cruisers might well have been unexcited about the limited port calls on Disney’s Australian cruises and further put off by increasing costs thanks to a weak Aussie dollar, since shipboard expenses are priced in US dollars.

The cruise line may also be hoping that Australian families who want some Disney onboard magic will be prepared to fly to Singapore, where its newest ship, Disney Adventure, is launching on December 15.

The company’s largest ship to date, carrying 6000 passengers, will home port in Singapore, from where it will operate short cruises without port calls.

Disney Adventure will feature Disney, Pixar and Marvel themes and promises swimming pools, a garden, several performance spaces, and areas of the ship dedicated exclusively to tweens, teens or adults.

More generally, the cruise industry has frequently complained about Australia’s high operating and port costs and complicated regulations.

Fuel costs are also high owing to the long distances between our ports and the long distances required to reposition ships Down Under for the season. That makes other regions such as the Caribbean more profitable.

Disney joins other cruise lines such as Cunard and Virgin Voyages in sailing into the Australian sunset in recent times. Others such as Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean have reduced capacity.

Over the 2023-24 cruise season here, 13 ships from the big cruise lines home ported in Australia, but only 11 are scheduled for the 2025-26 season, which has reduced capacity by nearly 6000 passengers.

The capacity of big ships will have shrunk to a third by the 2026-27 summer season. The major cruises lines seemingly have no plans to bring their biggest ships to Australia, or to increase the number of ships that visit.

What does this mean for anyone who wants to cruise on a big budget ship in home waters? Well for one, you’ll be getting fewer choices of ports, with a particular decline in cruise ship visits to South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia.

Most cruises now depart from Sydney or Brisbane, and the range of itineraries has shrunk, which might exacerbate the problem. For too long Australians have been offered the same-same cruise itineraries in Australia and into the South Pacific, leaving little incentive for repeat customers.

Cruises here are getting more expensive as costs rise and competition dwindles. Be prepared to pay more and plan well in advance because more Australians will soon be chasing far fewer cruise cabins.