2008 Disney Cruise Line West Coast and Repositioning Itineraries About This Page:

[Dave Marx]

Disney Cruise Line will be offering 12 seven-night Mexican Riviera itineraries in 2008, plus two 15-night Panama Canal Repositioning cruises (they've got to get to Los Angeles somehow). This is a near-repeat of the 2005 West Coast sailing season. The difference is in the details.

We had the pleasure of sailing on a Disney repositioning cruise through the Panama Canal in September 2005, which included stops along the Mexican Riviera. To read about our adventures and see photos and videos, check out our full trip report!

Jennifer and Dave's Panama Canal Crossing Report: http://www.passporter.com/dcl/panamacanalcruise.asp

In 2005, the 7-night cruises departed Los Angeles on Saturday, this time around, it'll be Sunday departures. Also, the sequence of ports/days at sea will be reversed. Nonetheless, the same Mexican ports will be involved: Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. Here's the lineup:

Sunday. . . . . . . . . . . . Port of Los Angeles
Monday . . . . . . . . . . . At Sea
Tuesday . . . . . . . . . . . Cabo San Lucas
Wednesday . . . . . . . . . Mazatlán
Thursday . . . . . . . . . . Puerto Vallarta
Friday . . . . . . . . . . . . At Sea
Saturday . . . . . . . . . . At Sea
Sunday. . . . . . . . . . . . Port of Los Angeles

The seven-night cruises will depart on May 25; June 1; June 8; June 15; June 22; June 29; July 6; July 13; July 20; July 27; Aug. 3; and Aug. 10, 2008.

The repositioning cruises are not only a day longer than the 2005 itineraries, but they'll visit several different ports.

The westbound repositioning (May 10-24) will visit Castaway Cay, Aruba, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas. That leaves eight days at sea, and one day transiting the Panama Canal. The eastbound repositioning (August 17-September 1) will visit Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, Cartagena, Aruba, and Castaway Cay, plus seven at-sea days, and one day transiting the Panama Canal. The day in Cartagena (Colombia) will be Disney Cruise Line's first visit to a South American port. Here's the lineup:

Departing May 10, 2008
Saturday. . . . Port Canaveral
Sunday. . . . . .Castaway Cay
Monday . . . . .At Sea
Tuesday . . . . At Sea
Wednesday. . Aruba
Thursday. . .. . At Sea
Friday. . . . . Panama Canal
Saturday. . .. .At Sea
Sunday . . .. .At Sea
Monday. . .. Acapulco
Tuesday . . At Sea
Wednesday .Puerto Vallarta
Thursday . .Cabo San Lucas
Friday . . . . .At Sea
Saturday . .At Sea
Sunday . . .. Port of Los Angeles

The eastbound repositioning departs August 17, 2008
Sunday . . . . .. . Port of Los Angeles
Monday . . . .. . At Sea
Tuesday. . . .. . .Cabo San Lucas
Wednesday . . .Puerto Vallarta
Thursday. . . .At Sea
Friday. . . . .. . Acapulco
Saturday. . ..At Sea
Sunday . . . .. .At Sea
Monday. . . . Panama Canal
Tuesday . . . Cartagena
Wednesday . . . At Sea
Thursday. . . .Aruba
Friday . . . .At Sea
Saturday . . .At Sea
Sunday. . . . Castaway Cay
Monday. . .. . Port Canaveral

As always, all these itineraries and ports will be detailed in the sixth edition of PassPorter's Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line, due out in January, 2008.

If you'd like a preview of these cruises, check our trip reports, photos, and videos of our 2005 eastbound repositioning cruise from Los Angeles to Port Canaveral.

[Colexis Mom]

Thanks for all the info Dave [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/thanx.gif[/img]

[iamgrumpy]

ooohhh i can't wait to go now! thanks for the information Dave!

[YoHoTales40]

Thank you so much for information! I just got an email from Disney Destinations announcing these cruises, but they didn't have the dates and destinations info. like you! However, they did mention that the bookings will begin Jan. 31, 2007!

[modisney]

When DCL does this, am I correct in my understanding that for 2008 there will no be Caribbean cruises aboard the Magic, just the Bahama runs on the Wonder and these new ports for 2008 on the Magic?

[Dave Marx]

[ QUOTE ]
When DCL does this, am I correct in my understanding that for 2008 there will no be Caribbean cruises aboard the Magic, just the Bahama runs on the Wonder and these new ports for 2008 on the Magic?

[/ QUOTE ]

The Magic will only be on the West Coast for the summer (May 10 through Sept. 1). The rest of the year it'll be in the Caribbean.

This is one of the reasons folks keep wishing for additional ships. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[VB_Family]

OK... well we plan on booking the Western Cruise while on the ship in March... so the question is a week or the reposition from LA to FL..... With the cost difference only $100 it is worth it... what stories do those of you that did it in 2005 have to tell... should we go for it or not?? 15 days is a long time....

[Grammy Grumpy]

We are planning this as our first cruise and have 4 additional family members with us (2 will be tween/teen). I am very excited to participate in this unique experience!

[Dave Marx]

[ QUOTE ]
should we go for it or not?? 15 days is a long time....

[/ QUOTE ]

You can read about our experiences in the Cruises section. I think it's definitely worth it. The Panama Canal transit is a wonder in itself, better than many days in ports of call as far as I'm concerned. All those days at sea... mmmm! You have an extra week to bond with your fellow cruisers and crew, which adds a whole extra dimension of community to the shipboard experience. And any time you can get away from it all for two weeks or more... that's a luxury far too few Americans get to enjoy.

[dahuffy]

I have my TA booking the Eastbound Repo on bright and early on the 31st.

[LiserAnn]

Hi Dave (and Jennifer)-I remember reading your wonderful trip reports at the time of the PC sailing and I so enjoyed reading them again. I do have a question for you regarding your stateroom. We may be able to squeak by in a category 9 stateroom for the westbound sailing, but it's possible all we could swing is an inside stateroom, maybe even only a cat 11 or 12. We've sailed DCL in a cat 9 and were very happy with the room and location. I know you and Jennifer had an inside stateroom for your PC sailing--reflecting back, I'm curious to honestly know if you two were OK with that stateroom choice or if you would not recommend it. We would be 2 adults and 2 boys who will be 6 and 9 at the time. We love Disney and there's part of me that says, what difference does it make, it would be fabulous just for the experience, but then there's another part of me that says....15 days is a long time if you're not happy with the room.

Whatever insight you can offer would be helpful.

Thanks,
Lisa

[dahuffy]

We made it!! We'll be on the EB Repo Aug.17,2008. We got a Cat. 6 GTY. Now I just have to figure out how to pay for the darn thing.

Also will be the first in line for the '08 Passporter to Disney Cruiseline.

[VB_Family]

Eastern Reposition SOLD OUT in 3 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So much for this one... slipped on by.. have to keep looking!!!

[mespino]

I'll be on the July 8, 2008 cruise with a 12-year old. Any one thinking about a horseback ride excursion or been on one before? Looking forward to our first cruise ever!

[Tracyvp]

I'm so sad! It looks like the repositioning cruises both ways are SOLD OUT! Is there any chance that travel agents have purchased blocks and we can still reserve with one of them, or are we just out of luck?

Tracy
I can't believe we haven't even been on our first cruise and I'm already planning our next one!!!