Cruise Port to Rental Car?

I'm renting a car in most of the ports on my POA cruise. How does everyone get from the port to the rental car agency? I guess we can take a cab, but this seems risky if there isn't a large availability and also a potentially costly choice.

As commonly discussed here, most locations have car rental shuttles to the rental sites. In Kona, you can walk...it's very close.

I am just paranoid. I looked at the popular discount hawaii car rental site and it said Budget provides shuttles. When speaking directly with Budget, they said they do not provide shuttles.

Did you talk to the local office, or to the national reservations number? I wouldn't expect the national reservations service to know about specialty shuttles like this.

I am just paranoid. I looked at the popular discount hawaii car rental site and it said Budget provides shuttles. When speaking directly with Budget, they said they do not provide shuttles.

On DHCR's site, they show which rental agencies provide shuttles in which ports - it's not consistent for every port - e.g. Budget provides shuttles in some ports but not others. Click on each port on this page to see who provides shuttles (you can see what the brand is by clicking on "Brand #" - Budget is "Brand 3") http://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com/cruiseshipreservation.shtml

As commonly discussed here, most locations have car rental shuttles to the rental sites. In Kona, you can walk...it's very close.

There's just one agency in Kailua Kona that's very close - Dollar at the King Kamehameha Courtyard Marriott - the others are at the airport, and Enterprise also has a location in town, about a 20 minute walk from the cruise pier.

We used Budget and Thifty on our cruise and both ran shuttles back and forth.

We used Budget and Thifty on our cruise and both ran shuttles back and forth.

Which ports did you use Budget & Thrifty in?

According to DHCR's site, rental agencies provide shuttles in some ports but not others. e.g. For Budget- it shows shuttles provided in Hilo, Kahului, Kauai, but not Oahu, Lahaina, Kailua Kona.

thanks! especially for the personal experience of actually using the shuttles. i used the port function on the discount website and was just worried after my conversation with budget. back to planning :)

Which ports did you use Budget & Thrifty in?

 

According to DHCR's site, rental agencies provide shuttles in some ports but not others. e.g. For Budget- it shows shuttles provided in Hilo, Kahului, Kauai, but not Oahu, Lahaina, Kailua Kona.

Apologies, I should've been more specific.

We used Thrifty on Maui and Kauai and Budget in Hilo; we just walked to Budget when we stayed in Waikiki before the POA cruise.

Of course, this was a year and a half ago, so things could have changed.

There's just one agency in Kailua Kona that's very close - Dollar at the King Kamehameha Courtyard Marriott - the others are at the airport, and Enterprise also has a location in town, about a 20 minute walk from the cruise pier.

YES, Yes...They are a little bit higher than the airport rentals but SO worth it. An easy walk beside the tender pier. I'm not sure they are open except when a ship is in port.

YES, Yes...They are a little bit higher than the airport rentals but SO worth it. An easy walk beside the tender pier. I'm not sure they are open except when a ship is in port.

If you book early, it won't be much more expensive than the airport, maybe $15-$20 more. I paid $55 at the King Kam with Dollar for a Versa.

Every port will have a shuttle to take you to the car rental site. Enterprise and Alamo seemed to be the most popular as there were shuttle line-ups at each port. The only caution is that in Honolulu, the shuttles take you to their nearest office and not the airport so there'll be a $50 airport drop off fee. We split a cab with another couple to the Dollar airport location so that we could end the day there. ($30 fare)

 

Enterprise and Alamo seemed to be the most popular as there were shuttle line-ups at each port.

Well if that's the case, I am making a note to keep this in mind and possibly avoid those two companies when I book my rentals. Unless the savings are really, really good.;)

Why set yourself up for a long wait in line both at the port and then again when you get to the rental site. Time is a very valuable commodity when in Hawaii.

now the opposite.....do the shuttles provide transportation back to the ship after you drop the car off? or should i plan on taking a cab back?

now the opposite.....do the shuttles provide transportation back to the ship after you drop the car off? or should i plan on taking a cab back?

They shuttle both ways.

They shuttle both ways.

In general...how late do the shuttles run BACK to the ports?

We have a car rented for one day in Kauai (an overnight port) and just wondered how late we could keep it and still get a shuttle to return to the ship.

They shuttle both ways.

that's what i was hoping, thanks!

In general...how late do the shuttles run BACK to the ports?

 

 

 

We have a car rented for one day in Kauai (an overnight port) and just wondered how late we could keep it and still get a shuttle to return to the ship.

It may vary with each company. We kept ours overnight in both of the overnight ports, but I heard someone say 8PM when they asked about the shuttle on the first night. That could have been just the Budget location and not all companies. We just made sure we asked what time the last shuttle was on the day we were planning to return the car. It's very difficult to get an answer on this without asking at the specific location because you usually get a call center somewhere other than Hawaii when you try to contact the agency.

I've rented a Thrifty rental car for our HNL visit. I have the paperwork which indicates in one place to call the rental agency once I'm ashore, but in another it says the shuttles do scheduled round trips between the pier and the rental agency starting around 8 AM.

I THINK I don't need to call, merely find the shuttle to Thrifty once I'm off the ship with the other 2500 confused cruisers.........right?:cool:

I have done this before at least twice, but I've forgotten.......age will get you too :o(if you're lucky!)

Doug

Here's who I ultimately booked with:

Oahu: National

Maui: Budget

Kauai: Avis

Hopefully I picked the right ones!

Here's who I ultimately booked with:

 

Oahu: National

 

Maui: Budget

 

Kauai: Avis

 

Hopefully I picked the right ones!

Well, at least you're spreading your money around and not playing favorites. ;)

I didn't see much difference in the rates, at least for HNL. I usually have used Budget in the past on all the islands where I've rented, but this year on a whim I went with Thrifty.....but have only booked HNL so far.:cool: