Disney Wonder cruise ship tragedy as Melbourne man disappears after going overboard on trip to Auckland
Hundreds of passengers have been caught up in a cruise tragedy after a Melbourne man was lost at sea on a Disney ship bound for Auckland.
Victoria Police said the 73-year-old man, from the north Melbourne suburb of Moonee Ponds, jumped overboard at 4.30am on Saturday as Disney Wonder sailed towards Auckland.
The ship turned around in the Tasman Sea in a bid to find the passenger but the man could not be located.
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Passengers initially noticed the Disney Wonder had turned around about 12pm on Saturday.
It sailed back approximately five hours and circled the waters before the captain announced to the ship there was sadly no sign of him.
“The captain came on and updated the boat and basically stated that there was someone, a passenger had fallen overboard … (but) that they were unable to find them,” passenger Mitch Talbot said.
“It was quite sombre and it was just a bit eerie for the rest of the day. A lot of the staff kind of took some time.”
There are several protocols the cruise industry has to follow in the event of an ocean tragedy.
A passenger aboard the Disney Wonder said crews were manning the decks and scanning the water with thermal imaging cameras in a bid to find him.
The cruise liner is continuing on to New Zealand and will arrive a day later than its scheduled November 25 date.
The ship, which fits 1750 passengers, has 11 decks.
The Disney Wonder five-night cruise from Melbourne to Auckland is one of the last trips to be operated by the company in Australia.
Disney Cruise Line announced earlier this year it was bidding a “fond farewell for now to Australia with her 2025/26 season”.
“While Disney Wonder will not return to Australia and New Zealand for the 2026-27 season, we want to reassure you that sailings from this region remain a strong consideration for future itineraries,” Disney Cruise Line said in August.
“The response from guests during our local seasons has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are looking forward to a fantastic upcoming season starting on 19 October 2025.”
The final local cruise from Disney will leave from Sydney on January 30 next year after which the ship will head to Honolulu.
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