Disney Cruise Line Clarifies Unique Schedule With Repeating Day

Disney Cruise Line has reached out to guests booked aboard the February 16, 2024 sailing of Disney Wonder with what to expect on February 22, 2024 – a date passengers will experience twice.

The unique sailing is crossing the International Date Line, a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many cruisers, and the cruise line wants everyone aboard to understand what will happen.

Disney Wonder to Cross International Date Line

The February 16, 2024 departure of Disney Wonder is a 15-night South Pacific cruise from Sydney, Australia to Honolulu, Hawaii. This is part of the ship’s overall transpacific repositioning from Australia to San Diego, where she will offer 3-, 4-, and 7-night Baja Mexico cruises for several weeks before moving to Vancouver in May 2024 for the Alaska sailing season.

By crossing the International Date Line from west to east – the line runs north-to-south at approximately the 180-degree longitude line – cruise guests will set their clocks back a full day on February 22, 2024.

“As you may be aware, your sailing crosses the International Date Line. In doing so, you will experience February 22, 2024, twice,” the notification to guests explains.

Because some events onboard Disney ships – such as makeovers at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, exclusive character meet-and-greets, specialty dining, and other activities – require reservations, guests will be unable to make reservations for the second February 22 cruise day until they have embarked the ship.

“When your booking window opens to reserve your cruise activities, know that the second February 22, 2024, will not be visible online,” the email explained.

Instead, guests will need to book activities for that day on embarkation day or otherwise during the sailing. Fortunately, guests will not miss out on any exclusive events only offered that day, as the cruise line has noted that the activities for both February 22 dates will be similar.

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This can provide an additional opportunity for guests to book activities they may have missed out on during the pre-cruise planning window, depending on what exact activities are on offer for that double date and how quickly the additional reservations fill up.

In addition to the momentous occasion of crossing the International Date Line, Disney Wonder will also be calling on amazing ports of call during the 15-night cruise, including destinations in New Caledonia, Fiji, American Samoa, and Hawaii.

Disney Wonder is the cruise line’s second oldest ship, having entered service in August 1999. The 84,130-gross-ton vessel can welcome 2,400 guests aboard and is also home to 945 international crew members dedicated to providing Disney’s signature magical service on every sailing.

About the International Date Line

The International Date Line (IDL) runs between the North and South Poles and serves as the internationally recognized boundary between one calendar day and the next.

While the IDL runs roughly on the 180-degree longitude line, it has significant east or west deviations to pass around certain territories, island groups, and nations to keep related political or geographic regions on the same day.

For example, the IDL jogs significantly both east and west between Alaska and Russia to keep the Aleutian Islands within the same day as Alaska and to avoid trimming off the easternmost portion of Russia. Similar deviations are found around Kiribati, Tonga, and American Samoa.

When cruise ships cross the International Date Line, they often have fun traditions to mark the occasion. This might include crazy contests, mock ceremonies, or “initiation-style” events, particularly for new crew members the first time they cross the IDL.

Guests onboard might also be invited to participate, though their events are generally tamer, and they may be presented with a certificate, ribbon, or other memento to mark their accomplishment, depending on each cruise line’s traditions.