Last Minute Rental Car Questions?

[shaycamp21]

The countdown is on ....we will be in Honolulu, in 11 days (hurray:D ) and I have a few more last minute questions this time about rental cars?

 

Do I just assume that the rental car company (arranged through Thrifty) is going to pick us up / drop us off at the pier in all ports or do I have to call ahead to arrange this?

 

In Kona, after we get off the tender is the King Kam hotel walking distance to get the rental (also renting from Thrifty here)?

 

Is it worth getting the navigation sytem (Dh thinks no, I'm leaning more to yes)?

 

Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.;)

[quiltlady]

 

Is it worth getting the navigation sytem (Dh thinks no, I'm leaning more to yes)?

 

Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.;)

 

I can't answer the rental car questions, but as far as navigation. We brought ours with us when we were on the Big Island in November, and really used it a lot. If you have your own, just bring it with you. Have fun.

[rxnrn]

King Kam is a block or so from the tender drop off. GPS is not necessary except maybe on Kauai where the beaches are not marked well. We had no problem with shuttles except the second day in AM where no shuttles were scheduled. We had to take a cab to the rental area. If I did it again, I would call the local office at each stop to verify shuttle. Have fun.

[beachchick]

The countdown is on ....we will be in Honolulu, in 11 days (hurray:D ) and I have a few more last minute questions this time about rental cars?

 

Do I just assume that the rental car company (arranged through Thrifty) is going to pick us up / drop us off at the pier in all ports or do I have to call ahead to arrange this?

 

Typically, yes you can assume that they'll have shuttles at the pier--as long as your pickup time is not unusual (say, the ship arrives at 8 am, but your rental pickup time is 1 pm). If there is no shuttle for Thrifty, just call and they'll send one.

 

In Kona, after we get off the tender is the King Kam hotel walking distance to get the rental (also renting from Thrifty here)?

 

It's directly across the street from the tender pier area. Get off the tender, head out to the street, and walk right to the hotel. Maybe 5 minutes from the time you get off the tender to the time you get to the rental counter in the hotel.

 

Is it worth getting the navigation sytem (Dh thinks no, I'm leaning more to yes)?

 

For us, no way, but then we know the islands pretty well. Even for a first timer, it's not at all a must. There really aren't all that many main roads and it's easy to get around. With the exception of Honolulu/Waikiki, you won't have a whole lot of big city traffic or highway to worry about. Most of the rental companies give you good maps, but we like bringing our Revealed books, even though we've visited 5 times in the past decade. I simply don't think you need to spend the money on a GPS, but it's up to you. If your DH will be doing the driving and if you're a good "navigator," then you should be fine.

 

Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.;)

 

Have a wonderful time.

 

beachchick

[whale-watcher]

We purchased the cheapest Garmin model at Target before our cruise, and were glad we did...it helped us judge driving time as well as distance/direction, and made the whole vacation much less stressful.

[travelling mom]

Hi shaycamp21,

 

We rented from Thrifty in Maui and Kauai. All of the major car rental companies have shuttles at the pier to take you to the airport to pick up your rental car. Most of the passengers getting off the ship lined up for these shuttles. Thrifty had only one shuttle that holds about 9 people. Keep in mind that it takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes to get to the airport, drop off passengers and then another 10 to 15 minutes to return to the pier. If you're not one of the first to get off the ship, you may have to wait until the shuttle returns.

 

A tip, sign up for the Thrifty Blue Chip Express Rental program and the great part is that there's no cost to join. You get to the counter faster by lining up in a designated Blue Chip line separate from other renters. It really helped us as we were served immediately while all the other people had to wait.

 

Have a great trip

[dougweaver]

Another tip - when you get on the shuttle bus sit as close to the door as you can. Don't rush or fight for a better seat but the quicker you are off the shuttle the quicker you'll be on the road. dpw