Ambassador Cruise Line has renewed its partnership with marine conservation charity ORCA for a fifth consecutive season, confirming 20 itineraries for 2027-28.

Totaling 316 days at sea, the collaboration will see ocean conservationists join selected sailings aboard the Ambience and Ambition from Mar. 24, 2027, through to Apr. 14, 2028.

Christian Verhounig, CEO of Ambassador Cruise Line, said: “We’re incredibly proud to continue our partnership with ORCA as we look ahead to the 2027-28 season.”

“Collaborating with the charity has been a deeply rewarding experience, enabling us to support vital marine research while raising awareness among our guests and crew about the importance of protecting marine life,” added Verhounig.

“Our continued partnership with ORCA highlights our shared commitment to sustainability, education and the preservation of the oceans we sail in.”

Steve Jones, director of fundraising and operations at ORCA, said: “Partnering with Ambassador Cruise Line has been transformative for ORCA over the past four years.”

“Our collaboration has significantly broadened our conservation efforts, allowing us to explore vital marine habitats and engage with a growing number of guests,” added Jones.

“We look forward to another year of impactful collaboration, expanding our scientific research and inspiring thousands of new ocean advocates through these dedicated 2027-28 sailings.”

2027-28 ORCA itineraries include:

• “Aurora Borealis & Arctic Norway Discovery” | the Ambience, London Cruise Terminal: 16 nights from Oct. 23, 2027, to Nov. 8, 2027
• “Tropical Treasures: Mayan Ruins & Island Adventures” | the Ambience, London Cruise Terminal: 44 nights from Jan. 6, 2028, to Feb. 19, 2028
• “Mediterranean Moments & Solar Eclipse” | the Ambition, Dundee: 19 nights from July 27, 2027, to Aug.15, 2027, and
• “Christmas & New Year Voyage to Canaries & Madeira” | the Ambition, London Cruise Terminal: 16 nights from Dec. 20, 2027, to Jan. 5, 2028.

The company said in a press release that guests will be joined by ocean conservationists aboard the Ambience for 11 itineraries, with the Ambition set to host a further 10 sailings.

Sailing from regional ports across the UK, ORCA sailings will cruise the British Isles, Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Iceland and the Azores.

Ambassador Cruise Line added that it has been working with ORCA on a joint Anti-Whaling Campaign, combating the issue of commercial whaling and unnecessary dolphin hunts.

ORCA’s onboard talks will provide an overview of the whaling industry, the impact it has on the marine ecosystem and the myths that surround it.

• The cruise community has been filled with speculation that Disney Wonder won’t be returning to Australia for the 2026/27 season.
• While the hope is that a different ship will arrive in its place, it appears more likely that Disney will cease homeporting a ship out of Australia.
• Despite all the rumours, Disney is yet to comment.

As rumours continue swirling about the future of Disney Cruises in Australia, the evidence keeps stacking up. Disney’ Wonder’s previously scheduled visits have now been removed from the Sydney cruise schedule for the 2026/27, having already been wiped from Melbourne’s.

With continuing speculation and various outlets reporting on the latest developments, it begs the question, why isn’t Disney saying anything?

The beginning of the 2026/27 season would be only just over a year away, but there’s been nothing but radio silence from Disney. 

While the cruise line doesn’t have any cruises already officially scheduled beyond September 2026, Aussies deserve the time to plan their holiday ahead of time, and know if they’re going to need to book a Singapore trip if they want to get onto a Disney ship.

While remaining tight-lipped made sense for Disney when the speculation mostly consisted of rumours over low sales, with Disney Wonder now being wiped off of cruise schedules, confused cruisers deserve to know what’s going to happen.

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. 

It’s time for Disney to provide some clarity to Australian families and to the cruise industry as well. 

Beyond the removal from the cruise schedules, the rumours are becoming more and more substantial. 

‘JaM Life Adventures’ 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 26/27 season.”

This of course 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 is yet to receive a response.

What are the possible scenarios

• Disney confirms it won’t be returning to Australia. This would not just be a blow for Aussie families that enjoy Disney cruises or hope to get on one some day, but also for the Australian cruise industry, which has already lost 35% of its capacity over recent years. It would also mark the second unsuccessful stint for a new cruise line in Australia in recent years, after Virgin Voyages. This could prove to be a deterrent for other cruise lines that could be considering Australian operations. 
• 2. Disney Wonder returns after all.  While Wonder disappearing from all the major cruise schedules appears to be a pretty clear signal that it isn’t coming back, nothing has been confirmed and it is possible that the ship will come back. If it does, Disney will surely be feeling the pressure and with its already limited sales would be tested. Not only would it be another of year of the same ship, but due to the fact the season is already a little over a year away and that Wonder would now be competing for the attention of Aussie’s with Disney Adventure in Singapore, it’d definitely be a test for the cruise line. 
• 3. Disney brings a new ship

Another possibility is that Disney could be looking to bring a new ship to the region, such as Disney Magic. This would be an exciting moment for cruisers and the industry and could help reinvigorate Disney’s presence in Australia. Cruise agents have previously signalled to Cruise Passenger that many cruisers view Disney as a ‘one-off’ type of holiday, but the arrival of a new ship with new activities could sway some to get back onboard.