POH - Rental Car Question

[HoneymoonCruiser14]

My husband-to-be and I will be going on our first cruise in May. We are planing to do a couple of days of NCL excursions but the remainder of the days we plan on renting a car. Do you have any site suggestions or leads on how to find the best price per day? I heard this is very easy, shuttles to the rental places and so forth. Any pitfalls? Is parking difficult/expensive? Advice? Thanks

[caserko]

My husband and I are going on POH on 1/29. The best site I found from these boards is: http://www.hawaiidiscountcarrentals.com I booked on Thrifty through this site--it automatically enters the "corporate" discount. Do a search for this topic and you'll find lots of info. Join the free Blue Chip program from Thrifty if you're going to use them. That's all I'm comfortable telling you since I haven't been there yet!!

[kmsbasket]

Caserko,

 

My husband and I are sailing on the POH on 1/29 also.

 

I read your post about renting a car. So if I want to rent a car in Maui, how do I know where to pick the car up at. Meaning, do you think you pick them up somewhere close to the pier?

 

I never rented a car before so I am a little nervous about this.

[bobsydney]

kmsbasket, all the rental companies have shuttles that take you from the ship to the rental office, so it is really no major problem to get from ship to your car. We tried to get off the ship as soon as we could and then headed to where the shuttle buses were parked. Never had to wait long if at all, although in Lihue (Kuaui) I must admit I had to ring from the pier to chase up the shuttle ... not their fault though, we arrived early because of an enforced change of itinerary.

 

Not sure which port your ship is going to. If you are docking at Kahalui, all the companies are at Kahalui airport which is only a couple of miles away. In Lahaina, the rental companies are based at/near Maui West airport about 5-10 minutes drive from Lahaina.

 

Just make sure you know when booking whether Kahalui or Lahaina ... I have read quite a few stories of people putting the wrong location on their reservation ... to their distress. The rental companies do not shuttle between the 2 ports!

 

At Lahaina, we booked a car from Dollar through the website mentioned by Caserko, at a very good price. There is a link on their home page that says "cruise ship arrivals" - go there and then pick the port you want (if I remember correctly, the Lahaina location code is jhmand it takes you directly to the company page with their discount code on the form. Easy!

 

A tip ... if you are not fussy about the type of car, book a smaller one. In every case (bar Waikiki where we specifically wanted a convertible), we got upgraded without asking, one time from a Dodge Neon (compact) to a Charger (full-size).

 

Cheers

Bob

[Captain Canuck]

28 sleeps...will post afterwards what we experienced

[kmsbasket]

Thanks for your help Bob.

 

Do you think it is safe to wait until you get off the pier to rent a car or is it best to rent it prior to sailing. We just are not sure what we want to do at each island.

[beachchick]

kmsbasket: I'm not Bob, but I'll answer.

 

No you absolutely should not wait until you get there. Often cars for the day are sold out. The rental places are not at the pier, so you'd have to just pick a shuttle and hope that that company had a car available. One reason that the cars often sell out is that, unlike many Caribbean islands, the state of Hawaii is not dependent upon cruise ships for tourism. There are thousands of tourists in the islands every day, cruise ship pax simply add to that number. I never wait until the last minute to reserve, but do it months in advance and then check prices (sometimes I end up cancelling and rebooking 5 times to get lower rates as they become available), but I always know that we have a car reserved. There have been many times when close to our departure date (when I'm checking rates for the umpteenth time), it will say "no cars available" for that date (or only really expensive luxury cars available or what have you).

 

Almost every company will allow you to rent online without giving a CC number. You can call and cancel up until the last minute with no problem. That's how I do it. It couldn't be easier to book, cancel, and rebook as many times as I want.

 

I would suggest that you make reservations now and then decide what you might want to do. You can cancel any reservations you decide you won't need. Now, if you're going during one of the slightly "off" weeks (such as the first week of December or the middle of May), you probably could go ahead and rent when you get there. However, it might take longer to get the car and you may end up paying a higher rate (either because of last minute or because you choose a company's shuttle to hop on that ends up having the highest rate out there). Some people have reported being able to book a car through the cruise line while on the ship. You could consider that, but that often costs more too.

 

As an FYI to everyone, not all companies provide shuttles at all ports. For example, Enterprise in Hilo is not at the airport and does not provide shuttles (either from the pier or the airport), so you're on the hook for the cost of a taxi ride into town. Although most companies do provide shuttles, it's always best to confirm it in advance.

 

beachchick

[ACruise4us]

I have a question, I rented mid size cars at all my ports. There will be three adults and my two small daughters four and nine. Can we get by with a compact car? Do they even rent to 5 for a compact car? When I called they gave me mid size cars is this because they cost more or is this what size we HAVE to have?

Thanks for any help on this.

[beachchick]

ACruise4us: I would not even try to do five--and three of them adults--in a compact car. That third adult would not by any stretch be comfortable in the back seat with two youngsters. No way, no how! Midsize is what you need. I believe Hawaii has car seat laws, so if your 4 y/o DD has to be in a car seat, that would make things even tighter and more uncomfortable. The savings per day between compact and mid size is usually just a few dollars (easily less than $10). That's not much money to make sure everyone is comfortable and safe.

 

When you say "they gave" you mid size cars, do you mean that it was the first choice offered by the rental company? That's pretty much the default because it's the most popular size. Certainly, with five that's what will pop up as being the smallest reasonable size (for comfort if nothing else). I doubt they offered that size first because they cost more. The companies have no trouble renting out all sizes.

 

beachchick

[SQUAREROOT]

We reserved compact cars on all of our car rental duration, often times we get upgraded. Say from a dodge caliber to a Sebring or a Jeep. But it is not a guarantee. What you can do is reserve for a compact, and if you get upgraded for free, good for you, but if not, just upgrade on you own, no hard feelings.

[kmsbasket]

What happens if you rent/reserve a car and don't cancel your reservation?

[ACruise4us]

[quote=beachchick. I believe Hawaii has car seat laws, so if your 4 y/o DD has to be in a car seat, that would make things even tighter and more uncomfortable.

Yes, the child must be at least 40 pounds. My daughter is just over that. Here in California I put her in a car seat so am thinking there I will pay the extra $8.00 to make sure she is safe. I am small and was thinking I would squeeze in the back with the girls. But you are right if I am on vacation I should be comforable at least.

Thanks for your help!!

[beachchick]

ACruise4us: My pleasure. Yes, I am the shortest/smallest adult in our family, so I envision me being the adult squished in the back seat with the kids. (Hey, nothing against the kids--just give me some breathing room!) And you are absolutely right: You are on vacation and deserve to have a comfy, safe ride. Good for you for going ahead with the car seat even though your DD is just over the limit. The safer the better as far as I'm concerned. (Had car seats been required when I was growing up, I wouldn't have an inch-long scar above my eye, so I take it rather personally. My mom was driving and wasn't even at fault in the accident, but I went flying forward into the dash. All I remember is the doctor poking me and my mom crying; she rarely cries.)

 

Have a superb time with your family. Gotta warn you that you're gonna get hooked on Hawaii. (We're in CA as well in the Central Coast area.)

 

kmsbasket: Depends on how you booked. Most companies don't require a CC if you book online unless you use their expedited member process (such as Thrifty Blue Chip). If you don't need to use a CC to book and you don't show up, there's not much they can do except try to rent your car to someone else.

 

If you decide the day before that you're not going to use the car, you should call and cancel to give them a head's up. One trip several years ago, the ship we were on broke and had to head back to Oahu. We had car reservations on Maui and for both Kona and Hilo. We called the companies and the cancelled our reservations no problem.

 

If you've had to give a CC number, then it's very likely there are penalties attached to being a no-show. It should be in the terms and conditions of any rental you do.

 

beachchick

[cruisingisforme]

Hi,

 

We just got back and used either Dollar or Thrifty as suggested on this site. I did not give my cc and had no problem with booking a reservation. I even got a cheaper price when I phoned using the 1 800 number on their site, so try it both ways. Had a no problems with the cars, all went well. I used discounthawaiicar rental web site, as suggested on the this site. YOu can see the prices for all types of car. As Beachchick said, it is not much more to upgrade.

 

I would book the car now as the rental companies can run out. I would also suggest a full size car. You want to be comfortable and sitting in the back with a car seat and 2 other people no matter how small can be crammed. A midize car is like a GM Grand Am, while a full size is like a Gran Prix. Big difference. You should not expect to get an free upgrade if booking a smaller car. What if you don't get it. You are then at the car rental company and stuck with a smaller car. You can't see another rental company, it is not like being at the airport all side by side. The locations are off site. Dollar and Thrifty, like the most others have shuttles to take you to and from the pier. The rental companies know which ship is in port, they are waiting. This is big business for them.

 

By the way we had a fab time driving all over, Such wonderful scenery. You will be stopping to get out and see the sights many times. You will see whales, surfers, etc, wonderful beaches, huge surf, waterfalls..You will be amazed. Thats why you want to be comfortable and have room to move.

 

I envy you going because I just came back and I want to go again. As Beachick said you can get hooked.

 

C:)

[beachchick]

cruisingisforme: May I ask if you rented a car for Kona? If so, did you use the King Kam hotel location? Again if so, which did you use and how was the service and check-in time? We've got both Thrifty and Dollar booked there because of some stories about how long it takes to get the car at Dollar (one of our members reported waiting 1-1/2 hours, which is unacceptable), but with Thrifty I signed DH up for Blue Chip to get expedited service. OTOH, the car through Dollar is $15 less than Thrifty. So, I'm trying to get first-hand experiences to help us decide.

 

Mahalo.

 

beachchick

[2tnts]

Not sure if anyone indicated where rent a cars can be parked over night.

In Maui there is parking near the port, first come first serve. The ship docks in container ports, so there will me many semi trailers. We got back from Lahaina about 10:00 p.m., and got one of the last spots - free parking.

In Kauai there is parking at the market just up the street from the port. This is $10/day. A smaller lot, so it is good to make sure to get back in time to get a parking space. Also there is Duke's - I heard many people taking about it as a night spots for clubbing. We didn't make it. The club is a short walk from where the ship is docked.

[cruisingisforme]

Hi Beachchick,

 

You helped me alot with my cruise so I am glad I can be of service. Thrifty and Dollar share the same desk in the lobby of the King Kam hotel. We used THrifty and they were fine. Both companies are closed at 4 pm so if you want to return the car you can, just leave the key in the box provided at the desk. We had no problems.

 

I just had trouble locating the desk but they did say they would be moving it to a better location. When you come in the back door like you do from getting off the ship there is no signage. actually, the hotel looks very very plain. The car rental desk is just by the front door. They are waiting for everyone who has booked a car who are from the ship. They expect you be from the ship. It was easy and great. At all the rental locations they have a great map info book. Nice big map. Take a couple as the map/booklets are easy to read and has great stuff about the island.

 

We had no wait time but then we picked up the car at 9:30am. I don't know if the blue chip would really help here as they have 2 people, one for Dollar and one for Thrifty. Very laid back.

 

Enjoy the views they are wonderful. Wish I was there now.

 

C:)

[beachchick]

cruisingisforme: Mahalo for your prompt response. Did you notice whether the Dollar rep was writing out all the forms by hand? That seems to be a major complaint with how slow the Dollar process is. Was your Thrifty reservation already in the computer and basically ready to go? I remember on the Thrifty website that it said the King Kam location was for cruise ship pax only, so that would at least cut down on the numbers a bit. We're not planning to rush off the ship first thing and have reserved for 9:30 am. Sounds like we may miss the early crush.

 

Good to know about exactly where to go in the hotel to find the desk. (I have to admit it looked kind of boring from the outside when we walked by there last trip. Sounds like I wasn't too far off.) We'll ask for the maps too because, although DH knows Hawaii very well and I'm not too far behind him now, we have never had a good map of the BI and we've spent no time up on the north or north inland (Waikoloa, etc.). We also thought it would be nice to check out the Puna area, which we've never done. The Revealed books are great, but sometimes you just want a good detailed map to see the whole thing.

 

I'm so glad you felt I was able to help you with your trip. And I thank you for your help with ours.

 

beachchick

[cruisingisforme]

Hi Beachchick,

 

The two girls were sitting at the same desk. Our paperwork was ready and we just signed. The Dollar girl was the one to tell us how to get out to the highway as she had no one with her. The paperwork was in 2 boxes, one Dollar one Thrifty, behind the girls and they helped each other out. I don't really know if one was quicker than the other. WE had a Jeep Cherokee as we wanted a higher vechicle to see out as we were 2 couples. It was great.

 

I am trying to remember where we went, it does blur a little. I don't have my library books as I took them back. I don't have the maps as I left them at work. Ssssoo.. we did go to a beach, a State park (name?) where they have the Green turtles, a sancuary (Spelling) and the park was set up to show how life was lived long ago. A mini version. But we did see the turtles, lying on the beach and swimming. Was quite nice.

 

From there were drove to another beach,(name?) heading back to Kona (it was a little ways out). This was another public beach that had alot of volcanic rocks and had a lagoon. Here there were the Monk seals on the the beach in a rope off area. Snorkeling here was awsome. Lots and lots of fish and turtles. I didn't see the turtles, my husband did though. It was very awkward to get into the water as the shore was full of volcanic rock but that was why we got to see lots of fish. I loved it. Wish I had those aqua shoes, socks ..something to protect my feet.

 

We stopped at another area. beach I quess..I wouldn't make a very witness would I? What ever we stopped for it was nice, can't remember but when we drove back to Kona we drove on the road/highway but it turned in to non paved road. I thought we were lost as but it took us right back to Kona, the main street. One minute we were in fields next we were in town. Lots of nice stores that I would of liked to have seen but it was 4:15pm and the last tender was 5pm. We dropped the car off at the parking lot for the hotel and then dropped the keys of in the box by the rental desk. Very easy. I have to say the hotel does not look great. Very plain and dull, definitely in need of a makeover.

 

The drive to the beaches could of been better. I did see lots of old cars at the side of the road, It looked like the poor island..but the beaches and what they had at the parks (sea life) was fantastic. I am so glad we stuck it out because we did get a little lost.

 

Have a great time. Thanks again for all your info you gave me. I know my comments here sound a little "special" but when you look at your maps and Revealed book I am sure it will make sense. Hope it does. Let me know.

 

C:)

[bardenl]

I had already booked with Thrifty for a week in Oahu and then the ports on our Dec. 4 Pride of Hawaii cruise (we fly in the morning). A last minute check of the boards and the hot link inspired me to check out the Hawaii discount car rentals. I called back Thrifty, gave them the code and saved significant $$. I also switched to Dollar in Kona where Thrifty didn't give the special rate. By the way, the 800 number for Thrifty in Hawaii given on the site is answered a whole lot faster than their general 800 number.

[lindajeff]

Also, make sure to put each location's "local" number in your cell so that you can call them to either change/cancel your reservation, to call for a pick-up, to get directions back to their lot, or in case of emergency once you have the car.

Jeff

[beachchick]

Aloha. Don't worry about remembering the beach/park names (or at least, don't worry about it on my account). DH and I visit Hawaii as often as we can (not often enough, but that's the way the budget bounces, so to speak). We were last on the BI in June of 2005, but spent that trip at VNP/Hilo/Mauna Kea. Our only trip staying in Kona was the beginning of December 2001. We hit the first Kona storm of the season and so didn't get much sight-seeing, :( but any time in Hawaii is good time.:) I did get to swim with the dolphins at DolphinQuest.:D

 

Hi Beachchick,

 

The two girls were sitting at the same desk. Our paperwork was ready and we just signed. The Dollar girl was the one to tell us how to get out to the highway as she had no one with her. The paperwork was in 2 boxes, one Dollar one Thrifty, behind the girls and they helped each other out. I don't really know if one was quicker than the other. WE had a Jeep Cherokee as we wanted a higher vechicle to see out as we were 2 couples. It was great. Good to know that the car rental staff is helping each other.

 

I am trying to remember where we went, it does blur a little. I don't have my library books as I took them back. I don't have the maps as I left them at work. Ssssoo.. we did go to a beach, a State park (name?) Almost certainly Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park where they have the Green turtles, a sancuary (Spelling) Same, also called Place of Refuge and the park was set up to show how life was lived long ago. A mini version. But we did see the turtles, lying on the beach and swimming. Was quite nice. We agree. We thought the park was really interesting and watching the turtles was fun. The snorkeling at Honaunau Bay is good in a couple of places, especially off the boat ramp at the cove north of the park. Off the lava isn't too bad if the water isn't surgy, but if it is, you have to really time your entry and exit with the water.

 

From there were drove to another beach,(name?) heading back to Kona (it was a little ways out). This was another public beach that had alot of volcanic rocks and had a lagoon. Here there were the Monk seals on the the beach in a rope off area. Snorkeling here was awsome. Lots and lots of fish and turtles. I didn't see the turtles, my husband did though. It was very awkward to get into the water as the shore was full of volcanic rock but that was why we got to see lots of fish. I loved it. Wish I had those aqua shoes, socks ..something to protect my feet. This was likely Kahalu'u Beach Park, but I'm not sure where the lagoon is. Of course, I could be wrong about where you were--I've been wrong before.:rolleyes:

 

We stopped at another area. beach I quess..I wouldn't make a very witness would I? What ever we stopped for it was nice, can't remember but when we drove back to Kona we drove on the road/highway but it turned in to non paved road. I thought we were lost as but it took us right back to Kona, the main street. I assume you mean Ali'i? One minute we were in fields next we were in town. Cool. I'm trying to picture which roads might do that, but we're not familiar enough with the Kona area for me to guess. Lots of nice stores that I would of liked to have seen but it was 4:15pm and the last tender was 5pm. We dropped the car off at the parking lot for the hotel and then dropped the keys of in the box by the rental desk. Very easy. I have to say the hotel does not look great. Very plain and dull, definitely in need of a makeover. Yeah, that's my recollection.

 

The drive to the beaches could of been better. I did see lots of old cars at the side of the road, It looked like the poor island..but the beaches and what they had at the parks (sea life) was fantastic. I am so glad we stuck it out because we did get a little lost. There are many little roads in the Kona area. We've had adventures while doing Kona coffee tasting drives. You'll find old cars and whatnot on most of the islands, particularly in the less populated areas. Pretty much like you can see here and there in most other states.

 

Have a great time. Thanks again for all your info you gave me. I know my comments here sound a little "special" but when you look at your maps and Revealed book I am sure it will make sense. Hope it does. Let me know. No worries; it all makes sense and I can picture a good deal of it.

 

C:)

 

Glad you had a good time.

 

beachchick

[cruisingisforme]

Hey Beachchick,

 

I would of love to swim with the dolphins. Aaaawww. Have a great time, tell us all about it. I am glad I could help with your questions. As I said before you helped me with so many questions before I went so I am happy I could return the favour.

 

Mahalo

 

Charlotte:)

 

Wish I was going now

[beachchick]

Hey Beachchick,

I would of love to swim with the dolphins. Aaaawww. Have a great time, tell us all about it. I am glad I could help with your questions. As I said before you helped me with so many questions before I went so I am happy I could return the favour.

 

Mahalo

 

Charlotte:)

 

Wish I was going now

 

Well...You're just going to have to plan another trip to Hawaii so you can swim with the dolphins. What a shame!;)

 

DolphinQuest really is wonderful (and also expensive; I've heard the prices have really jumped in the past few years). I'm always concerned about the health of any animals in captivity, so I did some research. The first part of each program is actually education about dolphins, their anatomy (including the fact that they have private parts too), their habitat and behaviors, and how we can protect them. For example, the trainers/caretakers explained exactly how it is harmful to dolphins to hold onto their fins to get a "ride." I had always wondered about swim with the dolphin programs that allow it, so it was good to know that my instincts were right. Then there's shallow water play with the dolphin (each small group of 3 or 4 has "their" dolphin and trainer), and (of course) picture opportunities. After that, it's into the deep water for those who swim well and want to do it. They provide vests and masks. It was incredible. The habitat (both on the BI and on Oahu) is huge and natural with sand, different depths, plants, other sea life, coral/rocks, etc. It's constantly circulating fresh ocean water in and out, so it stays very healthy (and so do the dolphins).

 

I just loved it. I tell you, you haven't lived until a dolphin has given you a pat on your, um, backside.:D

 

So, you're going to have to start planning your next trip to Hawaii. (I always believe there's a "next trip" to Hawaii.)

:)

 

beachchick

[Captain Canuck]

shuttle driver was late, rude and they had no staff in the office. they responded to this by making those with reservations wait in line behind those just renting cars. staff very slow and unfriendly which in Hawaii is shocking