Precruise car rental - suggestions needed

We are planning a cruise on NCL POA at ghe end of April with another couple. We would like to fly in 2 days early, rent a car, and tour around Oahu.

Question: whats the easiest way to get car at airport and then end up at pier? Is there an option to rent car at airport and drop off at pier? Trying to avoid logistical mess on the day of the cruise with two husbands with little patience. Also trying to be cost conscious.

Are you going to be using the car the first day? If not, my suggestion would be to take a taxi to your hotel and rent a car from a location near your hotel for the day you want to tour. And, take a taxi to the pier the day you begin the cruise.

I don't know where you are staying...but most of the Starwood Hotels include free parking in their resort fee.

It is my experience that picking up in one location in Honolulu and returning to another incurs a drop-off fee so it is easier to rent and return to the same location. You might check out Discount Hawaii Car Rentals to get an idea of your options. Hope this helps, Cherie

Almost all hotels in Waikiki charge a lot for parking. there is no renting at airport and drop off at the pier.

Almost all hotels in Waikiki charge a lot for parking. there is no renting at airport and drop off at the pier.

Free parking is why I mentioned the Starwood properties, Sheraton, Westin, Luxury Collection. Most hotels charge a resort fee and these properties include free parking in their resort fee. Cherie

We r also arriving 2 days pre-cruise.

Checked with DHRC the possibility to rent at airport and be dropped afterwards at the pier. No dice.

What we ended up doing --

Using Johnny Cabs for a flat rate of 25$ from airport to hotel.

Phone from hotel for rental to send a shuttle from Discovery Bay to fetch us.

Use the car on Friday to tour North Shore.

Saturday morning, check out from hotel, luggage in the trunk, have booked online PH for noon, finish at about 2PM, drive back to office at Discovery Bay, drop the car, have them shuttle us for free to pier.

Only the office at Discovery Bay (for us is Alamo, booked through DHRC) has the FREE shuttle from hotel to office & from office to pier.

We are staying on the North Shore so I booked a rental thru Dollar. Can pick up at the airport and I figured I would just drop it back off at the airport and then take a cab to the pier. Anyone know why that wouldn't work?

On our last cruise in Hawaii, we rented a car near the airport (I think it was Enterprise). They had an airport shuttle pick up service. We stayed at Waikiki and used the car to tour O'ahu. At night we parked the car on Kalakaua Ave. just south of Honolulu Zoo. It was free overnight parking after 5 or 6pm until 10am next morning.

On the day of the cruise I dropped off the group to the pier, return the rental and use their free shuttle to get back to the pier.

This was back in Nov. of 2009 so I'm not sure if these info are still valid for today.

Thrifty was by far the cheapest option for us. Just a hair over $100 for three days in a full size car. The location in Waikiki does a pier drop starting at two PM. You'll have to select it and not return the car to HNL if you want to go that route (extra fee applies). We just dropped at the Nimitz location and took a taxi. Same for the return, a taxi from the pier to Thrifty's location on Nimitz. Each taxi ride was around $30 bucks with tip.

$112 for full size car for 5 days with National in April 2016