For the first time in the line’s 25-year history, Disney Cruise Line has begun offering sailings from Australian and New Zealand homeports, bringing Disney’s special brand of oceangoing magic down under.
Disney Wonder is now offering a range of cruise itineraries and lengths in the region, and will remain sailing in the South Pacific through mid-February 2024.
Wonderful News for Down Under Cruises
On Saturday, October 28, 2023, Disney Cruise Line enjoyed a momentous first as Disney Wonder departed from Sydney, Australia for the first time. This inaugural sailing is a 4-night itinerary that will visit Hobart, Tasmania, and give guests aboard two full days at sea to enjoy all the ship has to offer.
This first season of “Disney Magic at Sea” cruises highlights the growth of Disney Cruise Line and the popularity of cruises in Australia and New Zealand.
Disney Wonder will be offering cruises from 2-6 nights in length from three different Australian homeports: Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. The ship will also offer select departures from Auckland, New Zealand as well.
This diversity of homeports will give more travelers the opportunity to experience the uniqueness of a Disney cruise, and will gauge the popularity of the cruise line Down Under.
Depending on the sailing date and cruise length, Disney Wonder will be visiting such amazing ports as Hobart, Tasmania; Noumea, New Caledonia; and Eden, Australia. Many of the sailings are also cruises-to-nowhere or else moving between homeports but without port of call stops in between.
Read Also: What Is a Cruise to Nowhere?
The 84,130-gross-ton Disney Wonder is the cruise line’s second vessel, having joined the fleet in 1999 with Tinker Bell as godmother and Steamboat Willie, the iconic mermaid Ariel, and Donald Duck and his nephews adorning the bow, atrium, and aft of the ship, respectively.
Onboard, guests will find immersive, one-of-a-kind rotational dining experiences, phenomenal shows, charismatic theming, and more, including Funnel Vision movies, the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, the Twist ‘n’ Spout waterslide, the Senses Spa & Salon, pools, and Mickey’s Splash Zone.
Disney Wonder can welcome 2,400 passengers aboard, with more than 900 international cast members to provide truly magical service and experiences for everyone.
After Australia
Disney Wonder‘s first season in Australia and New Zealand will be a short one, as the ship will depart for the final time on Friday, February 16, 2024. A 15-night transpacific sailing will take Disney Wonder to Honolulu, calling on ports in New Caledonia, Fiji, American Samoa, and Hawaii along the way.
From Honolulu, the second leg of Disney Wonder‘s return to North America is a 10-night Hawaiian cruise that will first visit Maui, Hilo, and Kauai before moving on to Vancouver, Canada, arriving on Monday, March 11, 2024.
Finally, the ship will move from Vancouver to San Diego to begin offering Baja and Mexican Riviera sailings for several weeks until beginning the 2024 Alaska sailing season in May.
Disney Wonder will return Down Under in October 2024 to once again offer “Disney Magic at Sea” sailings for the 2024-2025 Austral summer cruise season until February 2025.
More Options in Australia
The cruise season Down Under is heating up as the Southern Hemisphere days grow longer. Multiple cruise lines are offering Australia, New Zealand, and South Pacific sailings both this year and for future southern summers, such as Princess Cruises committing to position the line’s flagship, Discovery Princess, from Sydney for the 2025-26 summer season.
This summer, Royal Princess has already debuted from Auckland, New Zealand – that ship’s first time Down Under, just as Disney Wonder is also making her debut.
Ships from Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, P&O Cruises Australia, Royal Caribbean International, Holland America Line, and more are all offering cruises from Australia and New Zealand, providing ever more options for travelers eager to visit these dream destinations in a unique and diverse region of the world.
