Anyone rent a jeep for the day in Aruba?

[guinness67]

Who did you use, what did you pay, how was the experience? I would have posted this in the ports of call section, however I'm sure that more people look at this board than the other. Thanks for your replies!

[djbj]

That is just the question I was going to ask. Should we book is on the web or through RCCI? Should we wait till we get to Aruba or do it now? We are sailing Feb 24 BOS :confused:

[guinness67]

I should have also stated that I have no desire to do a jeep tour or anything like that. Just looking for a way to get around the island, mainly to fish a couple of beaches I've read about on saltwater fishing boards.

[vlnovak]

WE rented from american which was $75 standard $85 auto. total inc tax. do not need insurance as you visa will cover it plus little traffic. there were many jeeps for rent right when you get off the ship at the pier. you can also get a car or subburran (sp) i think it was $95. Jeeps were 85. I would not do the desert tour if you are older and artheric or have big boobs. very painful. also a little boring after a few hrs. however it is fun for younger people. fill your cooler before you leave at the grocery. see pictures at http://community.webshots.com/user/vlnovak

[Driftwoodgal]

We are just off the Brilliance and 12 of us rented a mini van for $100 plus $20 for the insurance. The person that rented the van just got off of the ship and walked over and rented the van without a reservation. We were going to rent several jeeps, and that would have been about $85 for each jeep seating four people. We didn't have any problem driving the jeep around on the roads, and in fact returned it around 2PM as we were all tired from sight seeing. We didn't have to have the van back to them until 6 PM. Sorry I can't tell you which company they hired from, but if you need to know I can try to find out and post it later.

[nerak]

We rented a car there also. We had rented in advance from National, Hertz...someone big like that. The car was definitley not too nice, no hubcaps even. We just walked to the location right there at the port to pick it up. Anyway, we made it to the Natural Bridge, The lighthouse and dunes, beaches AND the National Park. I would NOT recommend the park in a car though. The roads were very rough .... I don't know how we made it everywhere we did in there.

[blowfish]

When you get off the ship every car rental company there will be there to meet you, lots of cars, and you can't possibly miss them

[SPGryphon]

Whoever you go with.....BE CAREFUL!

Just because it is a jeep 4x4 doesn't mean that the 4x4 part actually works! ;)

 

We spent 4 hours trying to get help after getting our back tires buried in the sand up by the lighthouse. It was a horror story.... *shaking head* :rolleyes: They made a mess of the jeep when they tried to dig it out and tow it out...and then CHARGED US to clean out the sand they put into it.

 

I don't recall the company now but it was one of the more popular companies. That was 3 years ago.

[smeyer418]

also note that you need to read the fine print of many credit cards automabile rental insurance. Some do not cover what they consider exotic cars. jeeps convertibles etc. They also won't cover if the car is driven off the road. .....sometimes(rarely) it does pay to buy the extra insurance from the rental company...

[Shanafan]

Whoever you go with.....BE CAREFUL!

Just because it is a jeep 4x4 doesn't mean that the 4x4 part actually works! ;)

 

We spent 4 hours trying to get help after getting our back tires buried in the sand up by the lighthouse. It was a horror story.... *shaking head* :rolleyes: They made a mess of the jeep when they tried to dig it out and tow it out...and then CHARGED US to clean out the sand they put into it.

 

I don't recall the company now but it was one of the more popular companies. That was 3 years ago.

I have to ask......was this a Jeep (a Jeep Jeep, not a foreign 4x4). When we went to Aruba in '99 we did what we thought was a "Jeep" tour. Turns out they were Suzuki Samerai's or something like that. There is only one Jeep.....and these were not it. I've owned several Jeeps and it just drives me crazy when they refer to these other vehicles as Jeeps.

[SPGryphon]

Lisa...

Nope. It was an honest to God Jeep (at least on the outside). Bright yellow and not even a "check engine" light. Boy were we all bummed when we found out the 4x4 didn't work. :o I was gonna dig up a picture for you guys but I can't seem to find it. :( It was good for a laugh!

[PSCruiser]

As soon as you get on the pier there is a row of booths. Got a price of around $60 for a Suzuki, but I wanted to look around - guy said the prices are all the same, and he was right. Anyway, rented from the original guy (some "no name" company), and no problems. Some bits of advice, however: 1. The Suzuki didn't have all side panels, so if you want to leave your vehicle to swim, etc. don't bring a lot of stuff - not much security. 2. When driving up to the lighthouse, watch the water for where the snorkel boats have anchored (about halfway up). Great little white sand beach there, and good snorkel reef. 3. if you are really serious about the 4 wheeling, get a real jeep. There were a few places - fording water, mostly, where the jeeps went but i declined.

[scottishflower]

We rented a little 4x4 in Aruba from Hertz - I made the reservation a couple of weeks ahead, which saved time and waiting when we got there (the Hertz rental office right off the ship at the pier). It was wonderful! We drove all the way around the island, and sometimes it was rough going, but incredible. We made all the stops, saw the natural bridge, etc. When we reached the tourist side, we stopped at a couple of beaches along the way and swam at our leisure. The beaches we really beautiful too - the best ones of our cruise. After we returned the car, we hung out at the bars nearby the pier before boarding the ship. No regrets!!

[kbt2]

We originally had a reservation through a big company for a jeep to be at the pier for us, well they were a no show and when called they acted so dumb about it. Well, luckily like everyone has stated, there are jeeps a plenty ready for rental at the pier. There was a booth set up towards end of pier with several dealers and we rented right there and it was super easy! This was one of our most favorite things to do. We had a blast cruising the island.

[Shanafan]

Lisa...

Nope. It was an honest to God Jeep (at least on the outside). Bright yellow and not even a "check engine" light. Boy were we all bummed when we found out the 4x4 didn't work. :o I was gonna dig up a picture for you guys but I can't seem to find it. :( It was good for a laugh!

 

That totally sucks! Wow........I can imagine your disappointment!