Double the Magic: Doing Back-to-Back Cruises with Disney
Over the last couple of years, we’ve been very lucky to have a Disney Cruise Line ship sailing in Australian and New Zealand waters. Even after years of watching reviews and YouTube walkthroughs, there’s nothing quite like stepping onto a Disney Cruise for the first — or, let’s be honest, the fifth — time.
When the 2025/2026 season was announced, we had no idea it would be the last in our waters. So we decided to make this trip a little more special. The Disney Wonder had become a home away from home, and on a previous voyage we’d met a few lovely people who’d done back-to-back Disney cruises — two sailings on the same ship, one after the other.
That stuck with us. So this time, after booking a three-night cruise out of Melbourne, we decided to add another departing from Sydney immediately beforehand. Two cruises, one ship, and a chance to double the magic. Here’s what it was like to do a back-to-back Disney cruise in Australia.
What is a back-to-back cruise with Disney?
Put simply, a back-to-back Disney cruise means sailing on two or more consecutive cruises on the same ship.
The cruises can be of any length, but the second (or subsequent) sailing must depart from the same port where your previous cruise ends.
For example: say you sail out and back from Fort Lauderdale on the Disney Dream, stopping at Progreso, Mexico or Castaway Cay. Once the ship returns to Fort Lauderdale, the Dream departs again on a similar itinerary — and you’re booked on that too.
It’s ok if the ships don’t have the same itinerary. In our case, we sailed from Sydney to Melbourne on a three-night cruise in late October. We stepped off in Melbourne, then got straight back on the Wonder for a second Halloween-themed cruise that looped round and returned to Melbourne.
Why Do a Back-to-Back Cruise?
More time on the ship
Those three- and four-night cruises are fun, but they never seem long enough. Booking a back-to-back Disney cruise turns a short break into a proper holiday. Two sailings, one ship — and more time to enjoy everything on board. Without the pressure to cram it all in, we happily spent long afternoons on deck, snacking on fruit and lounging in bars, rather than rushing from event to event.
Be the first on board
When you start your second sailing, you’re usually among the first to reboard. That means early access to the ship while new guests are still arriving — perfect for hitting the pool deck, grabbing lunch, or snapping crowd-free photos.
Castaway Club levelling
You’re automatically enrolled in Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Club, the loyalty program, after your first cruise. Unlike some cruise lines that base status on nights sailed, Disney counts the number of sailings: Silver after 1 sailing, Gold after 5 sailings, Platinum after 10 sailings and Pearl at 25 sailings. A back-to-back counts as two separate cruises, so it’s a handy way to level up faster. (And yes, we levelled up after this double sailing, which was a bonus).
No need to re-pack
One of the best parts of cruising is only unpacking once — and that’s true for back-to-back cruises too. If you stay in the same stateroom, your belongings stay right where they are. If you’re switching rooms (as we were), the crew moves your luggage for you. As soon as the rooms re-opened, our bags were waiting for us inside.
Friendly staff
Getting to know your stateroom attendant and dining room servers is one of the quiet joys of sailing with Disney. On a back-to-back, you’ll often have the same crew on both legs of your trip, making the second sailing feel even more familiar and personal. In fact, even though we moved staterooms, we had the same table number and server throughout the entire journey.
How it works
In our case, we actually booked the second cruise first. The plan was to sail a Halloween weekend round trip from Melbourne, then fly back to Sydney.
But when Disney released some pretty deep-dish discounts on other sailings, the idea of adding another cruise became too tempting. So we booked the Sydney-to-Melbourne leg completely separately.
Once both cruises appeared in the app, it was time to link the bookings — because even if you’re in the same stateroom with the same guests, that doesn’t happen automatically. Here’s how the process worked for us:
Phone Disney Cruise Line Customer Service — I called and let them know we were planning to sail back-to-back. They linked the bookings in their system and advised me to follow up with Guest Services once on board.
Check in as normal — We completed check-in and activity bookings separately for each cruise through the app. Separate luggage tags arrived in the mail for both sailings.
Visit Guest Services — Once on the Wonder, we stopped by Guest Services, where they walked us through what to expect on turnaround day. If you don’t make it there, don’t worry — all the same information arrives in a letter left in your stateroom.
Get your coloured card — A few days into your cruise, you’ll receive a letter and coloured cards in your room. Ours was blue, but we’ve seen yellow and orange ones too. This little card identifies you as a back-to-back guest. It lets crew know you’re staying on board and allows you to reboard without queues.
Leave your bags in your room — If you’re staying in the same stateroom, your luggage can stay put. If not, the crew will move it for you.
Disembark briefly — All passengers must still be scanned out by customs and immigration before the next sailing begins.
Check out and back in — At the port, you’ll be formally checked out of your previous cruise and into the new one. This includes the Health Questionnaire. If you have a MagicBand/DisneyBand+, it can be synced with your new sailing too.
Reboard shortly after (or at your leisure) — After a brief wait in the terminal, a staff member will escort you back through security and on board the ship. Alternatively, you can stay ashore for a few hours and return later when you’re ready.
What to Expect on Turnaround Day
The bad news: you can’t just stay on the ship when it docks. Everyone needs to be officially disembarked and scanned out before the new sailing begins.
The good news: it doesn’t take too long.
We arrived in Melbourne after three magical nights on the Wonder and had breakfast in one of the main dining rooms — as is tradition on disembarkation day. We all met in the Azure lounge at 9:15AM and waited for instructions. After being escorted off the ship, we waited at the Station Pier terminal, checked in and out and were back on the ship about an hour later.
If we had decided to duck into the city for a bit, our provided blue cards would have allowed us to reboard without waiting on the assigned times, lines or stress. It’s kind of like a FastPass or Lightning Lane for boarding.
Now, I should add that ours took a little longer because there was a medical incident that required crew attention during the disembarkation process. So, we wound up sitting in Azure and at the port for the better part of two hours. However, we were still on board well before other guests, which allowed us plenty of time to explore and take photos.
A surprise welcome package waiting in our second stateroom — complete with popcorn and Disney snacks.
What You Might Miss Out On
Being among the first people back on the ship does feel pretty special, but there are a few things worth keeping in mind.
First of all, there’s no “Welcome Aboard!” greeting when you step back into the main atrium. Having experienced it just a few days earlier, that wasn’t a big deal for us, but it’s a highlight for many guests — so it can feel a little strange to return without the fanfare.
It’s worth noting that the ship is still in turnover mode on turnaround day, so not everything will be open right away. We were back on board almost an hour before Cabanas reopened, the pools were still netted over, and the bars were only just reawakening. Expect a little waiting around while the crew reset the ship and new guests embark. (On the plus side, we managed to get photos with Mickey and Rapunzel with literally no queue!) Our new room wasn’t ready until 1:30 pm, but there was plenty to keep us busy until then, and when we finally returned, a surprise welcome package was waiting alongside our regular Castaway Club perks.
You’ll also find that many of the activities, shows, and menus repeat from the first leg, so if you’re expecting brand-new entertainment every night, it can feel a touch familiar. Still, for most guests — ourselves included — the relaxed pace and extra time on board more than make up for it.
Finally, don’t forget about the port! We visit Melbourne multiple times a year, so getting straight back on the ship was a no-brainer. Otherwise, you might want to take advantage of some local shopping for essentials, or simply stretch your sea legs for a few hours before reboarding.
Tips for making it easy
Pro Tips
- Link your bookings early. Call Disney Cruise Line once both are booked so they can link them in advance — it makes everything else run more smoothly.
- Visit Guest Services. If you have any questions or concerns, they are amazing at stepping you through the whole process.
- Remember: shops aren’t open while the ship is in port.
- Pack smart (and light). Even if you’re not switching staterooms, make sure essentials are in a small day bag — especially medication, electronics, or swimwear.
- Have fun. You're doing back to backs because you love cruising with Disney. A little wait on the day all disappears when you step back into that familiar setting.
Is it worth it?
For us, it’s a very big yes. The only thing harder than packing is seeing those letters and tags on the bed on the final day reminding you that the trip is almost over. We did get to that eventually, but knowing we had a cruise right after the first did wonders (pardon the pun) for our relaxation.
Of course, unless you had credit or a discount, you’re still ultimately paying for two cruises and we know how expensive that can be when sailing with the Mouse. All this fun comes at a cost, but if you are in a position to extend the magic a little longer, we can recommend it.
Our next couple of planned cruises are a little longer, or part of a much longer trip, but we would absolutely do this again if possible. Until then, M-I-C you real soon!
