return rental car to Miami airport day before or day of cruise?

[LoriSan]

need some guidance. Sailing on the Vista on April 16, after a few days in Orlando. We are planning to drive to Miami the day before and stay overnight. The rental car needs to be returned at the Miami airport. Here are my options...

 

1- keeping the rental car overnight at the yet-unbooked hotel in Miami, and returning it to the airport on the day of embarkation, and take a taxi to the port OR

 

2- return the rental car at the Miami airport on Sat, find a way to the hotel Sat, then a way to the port on Sunday. (hopefully, yet-unbooked hotel has a shuttle for air/sea port, or both. Also hopefully, yet-unbooked hotel is near dining and such).

 

It will be myself, hubby and my 12 year old son, and we have FTTF and love to board early, so I'd like to get to the port ASAP.

[JohninDC]

Unless you stay out near the MIA airport, your Miami hotel is likely to charge you $25-30 to park your rental car. :eek: I would drop the car at MIA (you cannot choose a downtown location? :confused:) look at downtown hotels, where a taxi from MIA to the hotel will run about $25+ and another $12+ taxi will get you to POM in the morning.

 

Only a few budget MIA airport area hotels offer "free" shuttles to POM -- La Quinta East is the most often suggested. MIA Embassy Suites is another option. Better hotels in a nicer area are found in the Blue Lagoon neighborhood near MIA. All are fine if you are arriving late and just want a room.

 

If you choose to return the car to MIA, National, Alamo, Thrifty and Enterprise offer a free shuttle to POM. ;)

[kayehall]

I would choose an MIA airport hotel.. Highly recommend the Courtyard. Drop luggage off at hotel and have 1 person return the car day before cruise. Complimentary airport shuttle will pick you up and bring you back to the hotel. On cruise day, pay the $10pp for a shuttle or grab a cab. We have done this from the Courtyard twice. :D

[Cruisesfun65]

We always arrive a day prior to the cruise and I always return the car at MIA the day of the cruise.

This gives us freedom to have dinner (and breakfast) wherever we want.

 

Hop on the free car rental shuttle to port the next morning and ready.

[berniez]

need some guidance. Sailing on the Vista on April 16, after a few days in Orlando. We are planning to drive to Miami the day before and stay overnight. The rental car needs to be returned at the Miami airport. Here are my options...

 

1- keeping the rental car overnight at the yet-unbooked hotel in Miami, and returning it to the airport on the day of embarkation, and take a taxi to the port OR

 

2- return the rental car at the Miami airport on Sat, find a way to the hotel Sat, then a way to the port on Sunday. (hopefully, yet-unbooked hotel has a shuttle for air/sea port, or both. Also hopefully, yet-unbooked hotel is near dining and such).

 

It will be myself, hubby and my 12 year old son, and we have FTTF and love to board early, so I'd like to get to the port ASAP.

Option number 1 is a good choice. We are flying into FLL on Saturday, driving to Miami, staying overnight at the Laquinta Airport North (free parking) right near MIA airport, dropping our car at the airport rental return on Sunday and taking the free shuttle from MIA airport to the Port of Miami. Be forewarned I believe only Alamo, National, Enterprise and Thrifty offer the free shuttle.

[JohninDC]

Does anyone know if there is a rental car return near Port of Miami? We are staying overnight at a Mia beach place that we can park free overnight and then want to return day of sailing to a place near POM and then have them shuttle us or take a taxi...

 

Thanks for the advice.

 

None at POM, but there are several close to POM in downtown Miami (Hertz, Avis, Alamo and others); taxi, if they do not shuttle, will run about $12+