Is it a hassle to rent cars in each Hawaiian port?

[niki1785]

My fiancé and I will be on NCLA Pride of Hawaii in Sept. ‘07 and I’m already trying to plan our trip out! It will be our first time to any of the islands and I wanted to know what it is like renting a car in each port. Where do you pick the car up, can you do this at each pier? Are their long lines of people trying to do the same thing? Is it worth it to rent cars or is there a better way of doing things (buses, taxi’s)? How far in advance do you rent a car? Any tips/advise will help!!!

[KeystoneCruiser]

Most of the rental companies have shuttle busses that pick you up at the port, take you to their office for paperwork, etc.

 

We only rented a car in Maui due to the overnight and I found it to be somewhat of a hassle. I would never want to do it in a port where I only have a few hours. Waiting on the shuttle, riding the shuttle, waiting in line to do paperwork, doing the check-in, riding back to the ship on the shuttle after drop off, etc..

 

I have always either used NCL tours or just walked around the port area in Kona and used the free shuttles to Wal-Mart and the shopping centers to get around.

 

The one good thing about using NCL tours: if the tour is late getting back, the ship will wait for you. If you are not on an NCL tour and you are late getting back, the ship does not wait. On the POA in 2004, a person missed the ship in Kauai because the traffic was so bad and they were late.

 

On NCL tours, they do all the planning, you generally get knowledgeable guides and you don't have to worry about missing the ship! They may be a little more expensive, but the piece of mind is worth it to me.

[niki1785]

Most of the rental companies have shuttle busses that pick you up at the port, take you to their office for paperwork, etc.

 

We only rented a car in Maui due to the overnight and I found it to be somewhat of a hassle. I would never want to do it in a port where I only have a few hours. Waiting on the shuttle, riding the shuttle, waiting in line to do paperwork, doing the check-in, riding back to the ship on the shuttle after drop off, etc..

 

I have always either used NCL tours or just walked around the port area in Kona and used the free shuttles to Wal-Mart and the shopping centers to get around.

 

The one good thing about using NCL tours: if the tour is late getting back, the ship will wait for you. If you are not on an NCL tour and you are late getting back, the ship does not wait. On the POA in 2004, a person missed the ship in Kauai because the traffic was so bad and they were late.

 

On NCL tours, they do all the planning, you generally get knowledgeable guides and you don't have to worry about missing the ship! They may be a little more expensive, but the piece of mind is worth it to me.

 

That's a good point, not wanting to rent cars on days you are not staying over night. The tours do sound much more convenient and less of a hassle.

 

Do you know if there are scooters available when you get off the ship at any ports?

 

Thanks for your help!

[shellysmom]

We just returned from our Pride of America cruise where we rented a car in Hilo, Maui and Kauai. We thought it was well worth it.

 

In Hilo, we were some of the first people off the ship and the shuttle was right there waiting for us. One of the rental agencies was out there with a sign that they still had cars available but I don't remember which one it was. In the other two ports, all the cars were booked up ahead of time. In Hilo, we just went to Volcanos National Park and that kept us busy all day. But some others on the shuttle said they tried to visit some of the falls and had a hard time finding them.

 

In Maui, we got off the ship about 15 to 30 minutes after docking and had to wait about five or ten minutes for the shuttle. In each place, the rental office was only a few minutes away. We never had problems with long lines anywhere. It was very nice to have a car because we booked a luau in Lahaina on our own and it was much better than the ship luau from what some of our shipmates told us. A cab ride to the luaus in Lahaina would have cost a fortune. The second day, we snorkeled at Kanaapali Beach because we did not want to drive the Road to Hana if it meant looking at our watches all day and having to rush back to the ship.

 

In Kauai, we got off the ship after 9:00 and waited about 20 inutes for the shuttle. Then we did a flightseeing tour and then drove all the way up the North Shore to where the road ends at Kee Beach at the Napali Coastline begins. This is absolutely beautiful but I didn't see any tour buses here. I have my doubts that they could make it over some of the little bridges. The Thrifty office was open late that night so you could return the car and then just go to the beach and shopping near the ship the next day if you did not want to take a ship tour.

 

I hope this helps. Have fun with whatever you deicde.

[mammamia2]

We rented a car thru Thrifty at every port except Kona and loved every minute of it. We were able to do what we wanted to when we wanted to. It felt wonderful! The Revealed books for each island helped us to determine where we wanted to go and were invaluable. The price is sooo much cheaper too. The islands are very easily navigated. It was not a hassle at all to rent the cars and return them. The locations were never far from the ports.

[Bucky3]

We always rent cars on all the islands. It is the most economical way to tour, easy driving, and we have never felt it was a hassle. Enjoy your trip!

[Matt&Jess]

We rented cars in every port except Kona. We rented through Thrifty and had the most wonderful experiences. We were early risers and were one the first off the ship each day. Because of this we never waited for a shuttle, in Kauai Thrifty was the only shuttle there and others were waiting as we drove off.

As far as navigation Thrifty has excellent "drive guides" also at each port there are tons of free magazines that all have maps and tips on what to do.

We really enjoyed the freedom of doing what we wanted, when we wanted. If you plan ahead you will be happy you chose to rent a car.

You can book in advance on-line with Thrifty. However, thier rates change, I would book and then keeping checking for lower rates. You can always cancel and re-book at a lower rate. Also sign-up for thier BlueChip program. I signed up about a week before we left and just got the card in the mail, but I will still able to use it. The program gives you low rates as well and quick and easy renting.

We were off the ship and on the road in under 30min at each port.

 

If you can't make up your mind or are unsure book a car and excursions, you can cancel both with no penalty 24hours before.:)

[ssl1]

"We rented a car thru Thrifty at every port except Kona and loved every minute of it. We were able to do what we wanted to when we wanted to. It felt wonderful! The Revealed books for each island helped us to determine where we wanted to go and were invaluable. The price is sooo much cheaper too. The islands are very easily navigated. It was not a hassle at all to rent the cars and return them. The locations were never far from the ports."

 

We just returned from NCL Pride of America. We did the same exact thing. We were off the ship early, had no problems with any of our car rentals and were enjoying being on our own. When we ran into the tour buses from the ship in some of our wanderings and saw some of the locations they were turning into, we were glad not to be on those excursions. People we spoke with did enjoy the ones that they were on. It is a personal choice. One thing...depending upon when you are traveling, at each port they did ask if we had a reservation. When we said we did & were blue chip customers, they always responded good, because we don't have any more cars!

 

Good luck.

SSL1

[ssl1]

oops...guess I'm still jet lagged....we were on the Pride of ALOHA not America!!!

 

SSL1

[beachchick]

We always rent cars on all the islands. It is the most economical way to tour, easy driving, and we have never felt it was a hassle. Enjoy your trip!

 

Ditto for us.

 

beachchick

[niki1785]

Wow thanks guys!!! I was hesitant about renting cars in the ports but it really does seem like the best way to go! The excursions all seem so expensive so it does seem like the most sense to rent both economically and becauase you really do get to do what you want, when you want, and not be tied down. And I was worried that it would be more trouble to rent a car then to be on a shore excursion! You have all helped me get over my worries! I appreciate all the time you all took to answer my question!

 

Actually, I can picture myself in a convertible right now.... :rolleyes:

[mphill1022]

as was stated above--- sign up on thrifty's web site as a blue chip member--- it is free--- I can't believe how well they treated us being blue chip members--- special lines-- paperwork filled out in advance and free upgrades--- never felt like such a vip as a blue chip member