car pick up and return (MCO and port canaveral)

We are flying into MCO with a 9 a.m. arrival on a Friday. We are picking up a car and driving to Cocoa Beach for the night and then to port to leave on Disney Fantasy in the morning. I don't really want to get stuck paying for 2 days rental time because it ends up being 25 hours, so I am worried about the timing of pick up and return of the car.

Our port arrival time on Saturday is 11:00. I prefer not to arrive much before, because I hate sitting around. Ideally I would stay in our hotel until 10 or 10:30 and then return the car then go to the port. But if we do that, either we are going to have 25 hours of rental or we have to delay picking up the car on Friday.

Realistically, what time should I expect to pick up the car on Friday? Plane lands at 9:00 and we will have checked baggage. Is 10 stretching it too far? If so, then I will pick up at 9:30. But that means getting to the car rental place at 9:30. Are they even going to have shuttles then? Or are we going to be sitting around and waiting.

Also, I know that DH could drop DD and I and luggage off at the port and return the car, but I am nervous about that- both about DH taking off on his own and him leaving me with DD and luggage. I really prefer to be all together. But that means me, DD, luggage and a car seat. Am I crazy with wanting to all go return the car? I guess the other alternative is having him drop off the car and then get back to the hotel, then cab to the port. But I am guessing he would also have to cab to the hotel, and that's a fair amount of extra cash.

I have never rented a car on a trip like this, so I don't know how it all works. Thoughts?

We are flying into MCO with a 9 a.m. arrival on a Friday. We are picking up a car and driving to Cocoa Beach for the night and then to port to leave on Disney Fantasy in the morning. I don't really want to get stuck paying for 2 days rental time because it ends up being 25 hours, so I am worried about the timing of pick up and return of the car.

 

Our port arrival time on Saturday is 11:00. I prefer not to arrive much before, because I hate sitting around. Ideally I would stay in our hotel until 10 or 10:30 and then return the car then go to the port. But if we do that, either we are going to have 25 hours of rental or we have to delay picking up the car on Friday.

 

Realistically, what time should I expect to pick up the car on Friday? Plane lands at 9:00 and we will have checked baggage. Is 10 stretching it too far? If so, then I will pick up at 9:30. But that means getting to the car rental place at 9:30. Are they even going to have shuttles then? Or are we going to be sitting around and waiting.

 

Also, I know that DH could drop DD and I and luggage off at the port and return the car, but I am nervous about that- both about DH taking off on his own and him leaving me with DD and luggage. I really prefer to be all together. But that means me, DD, luggage and a car seat. Am I crazy with wanting to all go return the car? I guess the other alternative is having him drop off the car and then get back to the hotel, then cab to the port. But I am guessing he would also have to cab to the hotel, and that's a fair amount of extra cash.

 

I have never rented a car on a trip like this, so I don't know how it all works. Thoughts?

This is an excellent question! I am sure many cruisers face the same dilemma - hopefully you will get great ideas here that will help others too!

To start the conversation, I will mention the busy window at the car rental companies here at Canaveral. With several ships in port, I often notice long lines between 11am and noon for vehicle returns and port shuttles at some companies - Budget comes to mind because they are very busy. This can be stressful on hot or rainy days with a child.

Since most people hope to board early, I always thought it is best to return the car later - around 1pm in order to miss the busy waves!

I also know the cruise ships do not want folks to arrive too early which is why some shuttles do not drop passengers until they get the "ready" call from the port. So returning the vehicle early may just be counterproductive resulting in more waiting at the car rental or elsewhere.

So it is tricky - return the car late, miss the crowds but pay more for the rental. Or return the car early, save money with rental but you may have to wait before shuttle/embarking!

The car rental at MCO is very easy with no shuttles unless you rent off-site. So you can get the car early or later.

Will you really need the car on Friday after dark? Can you return it then (same day rental) and use the hotel port shuttle the next day? With prior arrangements most rental companies will shuttle you for free to a hotel in Cocoa Beach or Canaveral if you drop before closing.

If you do not need the car Friday night for dinner/shopping/etc. then drop the car as suggested above and use the hotel shuttle or a cab to get to the port. Most of the PC area car rental offices close about 5:00 - check on the hours with whoever you are renting from.

We probably will want the car Friday night since we do want to do some shopping and have dinner. We are staying at the Hilton Cocoa Beach and I am not sure what our options are as far as not having a car. But we will be arriving early enough that we could do shopping before and then drop the car off that evening, if necessary. But that brings me to the question of how do we get back from the rental car place to the hotel? Because with that option, I could have DH drop off the car earlier in the morning on Saturday and wait at the hotel with my daughter. He can come back to the hotel and then we all check out and ride the shuttle. But I don't know how he would get back to the hotel besides a taxi. Once we add a taxi and shuttle for the 3 of us, we are looking at more than the second day on the rental (we got a car really cheap). Its not really an issue of the cost of the second day rental as much as an issue of hating to pay for a second day for an hour or two.

If the car rental place is open they may shuttle you back to the hotel; if not your options are a cab or maybe the hotel shuttle.

You could grab some lunch at MCO before picking up the car - delay your rental time to closer to noon, and then just drop it off the morning of your cruise and ride the car rental shuttle to the port.

We probably will want the car Friday night since we do want to do some shopping and have dinner. We are staying at the Hilton Cocoa Beach and I am not sure what our options are as far as not having a car. But we will be arriving early enough that we could do shopping before and then drop the car off that evening, if necessary. But that brings me to the question of how do we get back from the rental car place to the hotel? Because with that option, I could have DH drop off the car earlier in the morning on Saturday and wait at the hotel with my daughter. He can come back to the hotel and then we all check out and ride the shuttle. But I don't know how he would get back to the hotel besides a taxi. Once we add a taxi and shuttle for the 3 of us, we are looking at more than the second day on the rental (we got a car really cheap). Its not really an issue of the cost of the second day rental as much as an issue of hating to pay for a second day for an hour or two.

If it was me, I would get the car as early as possible at MCO, pay for a 1pm return, drive to the beach and check in as early as I can and enjoy the area until 1pm on Saturday. By then the early board rush is over and you will have a smooth check in after dropping the car and using the shuttle to the port, or even better, I would drop you and the child and the luggage at the port where the porters will assist you, then go and return the car! This is a 2 day car rental I believe versus 1 day but with zero hassle.

If you want to avoid the extra rental costs, with the Saturday car rental return you have a few options to choose from:

1. Get the car later at MCO on Friday as suggested and drop off later within the 24 hour window.

2. The rental companies may/may not shuttle DH back to the Hilton. This will depend on the company. On embarkation days they are all very busy from 10am to 1pm and you should call the local office to hear what they say. My feeling is a company like Hertz will be more willing to deliver this service than some of the cheaper ones. They need all hands on deck on embarkation days.

3. Call a flat rate taxi company like Hoo Ha to get their one-way rates for DH back to the Hilton.

4. The Hilton is about 4 miles or so from the rental car companies. A bit too far to walk for most but maybe DH likes his morning exercise? There are sidewalks on both sides of the road and it is used by wheel chairs, moms pushing strollers, etc. Pedestrian friendly and very safe.

5. DH can hop on the SCAT bus! For about 2 bucks he can hop on near the car rental, and off less than a block from the Hilton! It is a very good system, easy to use, safe and popular with tourists, surfers, bar-hoppers, the locals and myself! He has to change buses at Shepard Park (no problems).

If it was me, I would get the car as early as possible at MCO, pay for a 1pm return, drive to the beach and check in as early as I can and enjoy the area until 1pm on Saturday. By then the early board rush is over and you will have a smooth check in after dropping the car and using the shuttle to the port, or even better, I would drop you and the child and the luggage at the port where the porters will assist you, then go and return the car! This is a 2 day car rental I believe versus 1 day but with zero hassle.

 

If you want to avoid the extra rental costs, with the Saturday car rental return you have a few options to choose from:

 

1. Get the car later at MCO on Friday as suggested and drop off later within the 24 hour window.

 

2. The rental companies may/may not shuttle DH back to the Hilton. This will depend on the company. On embarkation days they are all very busy from 10am to 1pm and you should call the local office to hear what they say. My feeling is a company like Hertz will be more willing to deliver this service than some of the cheaper ones. They need all hands on deck on embarkation days.

 

3. Call a flat rate taxi company like Hoo Ha to get their one-way rates for DH back to the Hilton.

 

4. The Hilton is about 4 miles or so from the rental car companies. A bit too far to walk for most but maybe DH likes his morning exercise? There are sidewalks on both sides of the road and it is used by wheel chairs, moms pushing strollers, etc. Pedestrian friendly and very safe.

 

5. DH can hop on the SCAT bus! For about 2 bucks he can hop on near the car rental, and off less than a block from the Hilton! It is a very good system, easy to use, safe and popular with tourists, surfers, bar-hoppers, the locals and myself! He has to change buses at Shepard Park (no problems).

We have a car from Alamo. I was hoping that if he dropped it off when they first open before it starts getting busy, they might bring him back. But I imagine that Saturdays are crazy and I don't know when they get busy.

Any idea of the cost of a taxi from Alamo (I believe they are with Enterprise) and Hilton?

Also, any idea of the cost of a taxi from Hilton to the port?

I am wondering if realistically we can stretch out the airport pick up until 10. Our plane arrives at 9 a.m. and we will probably have to take a potty break and pick up our bags and then get to the rental place and get the car. Do you think that could stretch into an hour? We have a 4 year old and our flight leaves at 5:25 in the morning, so I really do not want to hang out at the airport any longer than necessary. I don't really know how they work this. Is the rental time period based upon when we pick up the car or the time of our reservation?

...Is the rental time period based upon when we pick up the car or the time of our reservation?

The time you pick up the car.

We have a car from Alamo. I was hoping that if he dropped it off when they first open before it starts getting busy, they might bring him back. But I imagine that Saturdays are crazy and I don't know when they get busy.

 

Any idea of the cost of a taxi from Alamo (I believe they are with Enterprise) and Hilton?

 

Also, any idea of the cost of a taxi from Hilton to the port?

 

I am wondering if realistically we can stretch out the airport pick up until 10. Our plane arrives at 9 a.m. and we will probably have to take a potty break and pick up our bags and then get to the rental place and get the car. Do you think that could stretch into an hour? We have a 4 year old and our flight leaves at 5:25 in the morning, so I really do not want to hang out at the airport any longer than necessary. I don't really know how they work this. Is the rental time period based upon when we pick up the car or the time of our reservation?

With Alamo you may be in luck! Enterprise/Alamo/National share a building and shuttles and they strike me as being very customer friendly (at least from the efficient way they handle the car drops and so on). Please give them a call and let us know if they will shuttle DH gratis early on Saturday! Many here may want to know.

Please look at this map. It will give you an idea of where everyone is in relation to another: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zH-7o_mJABR0.kguiZnGCjDj0

About taxi fares. There are metered taxis here that focus on port/cruise activities. 888-taxi - 321 8688888 - is the best known. The locals I know use flat rate taxis such as Hoo Ha 321 7493232 for local travel and not the port. Please call both to get an idea of costs. I suspect it will cost $20 from the Hilton to the Port.

About MCO. The 10am pickup (or later) sounds OK to me. About an hour to deal with potential delays, baggage claim and so on. The Alamo desk is right there near baggage claim. But do keep in mind that MCO is one of the busiest airports in the world so the line at Alamo may be longer than you expected! You may end up getting in the car after 10am anyway!

Also, try to automate the Alamo car pickup as much you can. You can skip the counter on level 1 for example and head straight for your car. Not sure if you can do this if you need child seats though????

With Alamo you may be in luck! Enterprise/Alamo/National share a building and shuttles and they strike me as being very customer friendly (at least from the efficient way they handle the car drops and so on). Please give them a call and let us know if they will shuttle DH gratis early on Saturday! Many here may want to know.

 

Please look at this map. It will give you an idea of where everyone is in relation to another: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zH-7o_mJABR0.kguiZnGCjDj0

 

About taxi fares. There are metered taxis here that focus on port/cruise activities. 888-taxi - 321 8688888 - is the best known. The locals I know use flat rate taxis such as Hoo Ha 321 7493232 for local travel and not the port. Please call both to get an idea of costs. I suspect it will cost $20 from the Hilton to the Port.

 

About MCO. The 10am pickup (or later) sounds OK to me. About an hour to deal with potential delays, baggage claim and so on. The Alamo desk is right there near baggage claim. But do keep in mind that MCO is one of the busiest airports in the world so the line at Alamo may be longer than you expected! You may end up getting in the car after 10am anyway!

Thank you for the advise. I think we are bringing our own car seat. I would rather not deal with the hassle of it, but its better than the stress of ending up at the rental place and they are out of car seats. Our DD is 4 year old, 38 inches tall and weighs about 31 pounds, so she is very petite for her age. There is absolutely no way to get around a car seat and she is too small for the backless boosters.

I know we have done some dealings with enterprise unfortunately more than I would like regarding insurance rentals and they have usually been pretty good. But we have not been paying the tab and I am sure they don't want to tick off the insurance company. THat could impact the level of service.

UPDATE: I talked to the lady at Alamo who told me that as long as we get there early, they should be able to take him back to the hotel. I know they open at 7:00. So we will try to drop it off as soon as possible when they open. And I will have him have some cash for a cab in case it falls apart. What time do you think it starts getting busy with disembarking cruisers wanting cars on a Saturday? 9? or would it be earlier?

Also, in case anyone is interested, I also found out from the Hilton that the cruise port shuttle is $5.00 pp. So for the 3 of us, that's probably comparable to cab fare or maybe less. So I will probably plan on having him come back to the hotel, meet DD and I and get on the shuttle. That is the plan anyway. If things go not as planned, I suppose DD and I could get on the shuttle and meet him at port. Not my top choice, but doable.

UPDATE: I talked to the lady at Alamo who told me that as long as we get there early, they should be able to take him back to the hotel. I know they open at 7:00. So we will try to drop it off as soon as possible when they open. And I will have him have some cash for a cab in case it falls apart. What time do you think it starts getting busy with disembarking cruisers wanting cars on a Saturday? 9? or would it be earlier?

 

Also, in case anyone is interested, I also found out from the Hilton that the cruise port shuttle is $5.00 pp. So for the 3 of us, that's probably comparable to cab fare or maybe less. So I will probably plan on having him come back to the hotel, meet DD and I and get on the shuttle. That is the plan anyway. If things go not as planned, I suppose DD and I could get on the shuttle and meet him at port. Not my top choice, but doable.

Hi Lisa

Great! It appears you have it all covered.

Since you do not need to rent a car seat, do the automated car pickup online at Alamo so you can skip the counter and head straight for your car upon arrival!

At Alamo in Port Canaveral, your DH will be just fine because guess what? If he somehow cannot get the ride back to the Hilton all he has to do is walk across the road to 888-taxi (321 8688888)! Their depot is right there across from Alamo! Also give him the Hoo Ha number from one of my previous posts.

If he can be at Alamo before 8am things should just be fine and he will be back at the Hilton long before 9am because the hotel is less than 3 miles down the road!

Then you will have plenty of time to relax before boarding the shared port shuttle from the hotel after 11am!

Well that's interesting. We had originally booked an Alamo rental pickup on Saturday at 4:30 pm with a return time in Port Canaveral of 9 am on Sunday. We had to change our flights and are now getting to Orlando at 12:10am on Saturday. The rental price didn't change, even though we added 14 hours to the rental time.