One person pick up rental car???

[tacobird]

We are renting a mini van in all ports Kauai, Hilo, Kona from Dollar and in Maui we are renting from Alamo. We are a group of 5 adults and 2 children. Is it best to have one person go and get rental vehicle and then pick up the others or should we all go together? In Kona I believe we tender in so it might be best to all go together. We will be taking snorkle equip etc. - alot of carrying. Are the locations too far away to come back for the others or should we all stick together?

[Jeano222]

I'm sending my hubby on the shuttle to Alamo from Lahaina pier. I will be with others and we will just bum around Front Street until he comes back. Alamo is only about 5 miles away so shouldn't take long for him to get back to us. I wouldn't all go if I were you, there will be others that are trying to get the shuttle too, and your party will take up 7 seats alone..

[Bucky3]

The shuttles may not take that many people to pick up just one car. It would be much better to just have one person pick up the car. Also be sure to have everyone dropped off at the pier before turning in the car as, again, there might not be shuttle room for everyone at the end of the day. When there is more than just the two of us, we always do it this way.

[judyf]

One more question. If you are signing up 2 drivers I would think both have to go, is this correct?

[CC Help Michell]

For Dollar in Kona you should be renting at the King Kamehaha Hotel (right beside the tender docking pier) -- if you aren't, change it so you are. :) That way you could all "go," but it's a really short walk, no shuttle. Judyf, yes, I believe both drivers have to be present if more than one driver is being added to the rental -- they make positive ID of driver's licenses, etc.

 

For the other ports -- I have a different take. We had 2 pax in July and never boarded a rental car shuttle with more than two other people. IF the shuttle driver will allow you all on the shuttle (if it's not a slammed time, in other words) I'd say everyone going along makes the most sense. You could leave for your day right from the rental agency and not have to backtrack to the pier, go through security there, etc..

 

Since 9/11, you almost certainly can't actually "pick up" people at the ship. They will still have to walk, carrying bags, far enough to clear the immediate area of the ship to a point outside the pier's security booth, in most cases, or at a minimum to a clear area with a circular driveway arrangement which is still 100 yards or so from the ship's gangway (and so will you, to catch the shuttle). At the ports on our Hawaii cruise, only pre-booked tour buses were allowed to be especially close to the ship, and they were also subject to boarding and inspection, and for the passengers, we had to present our ID and ship cards.

[Bucky3]

We had no problem picking up our cars and driving back to the pier to pick up my B and SIL. We just showed our IDs at the gate and were let in to pick them up. This was in fall of 2005. It depends on the agency you booked with as to how crowded shuttles will be. DH is always up and ready before the rest of our group, so he's off for the car (keeps him busy!), and we all have extra time to get out to meet him. Thrifty's shuttle always seemed to be crowded when we rented through them.

 

I would certainly think if two people are driving you would both need to pick up the car. In our case, we joined Thrifty's Blue Chip program online ahead of time -it's free - and there was no charge for the second driver, and it saved a lot of time at the counter as the papers were already filled out and just required a signature. Sometimes there is an extra charge. I seem to recall it was something like $6.

 

If you read some of the many back posts on Hawaii car rentals, you will see that people have had many different experiences. My thoughts are just what we experienced. The last time we rented over there was in May this year.

[tacobird]

thanks for the info. I mainly was concerned about having to back track if we need to come back to the port to pick up the others. If we can leave for parts of the island from the rental or if we need to head back towards the ship anyway to tour the island. I did not realize it was such a process of security and everything to leave the port. We are renting from Dollar and I am not sure if the rental places are out of the way of the ship or on the way to drive the islands. The King Kamehaha hotel is one of our rental car pick up locations. Kona will be an easy car rental pick up.

[beachchick]

I think the issue is likely to be the number of people in your group. There are many other pax waiting to get on the shuttle to pick up their cars too. They really prefer to have only the drivers on the shuttles early in the day when the lines are long and the port is crowded. Later in the day, it's not such an issue. It is an issue if you return close to departure time too. You'll need to drop everyone else at the pier and then go return the car.

 

In Hilo, Nawiliwili, Lahaina, and Kahului, the car rental locations are less than 10 minutes by shuttle.

 

beachchick

[CaliforniaDreamin]

In Lahaina, Maui the shuttle driver for Dollar would only take people with reservations. My wife even had to wait by the courthouse while I picked up the car. I left her off there again prior to returning the car.

 

In Hilo, the Thrifty shuttle picked us both up at the pier and drove us to the airport rental location. After turn in they drove us back to ship.

 

In Kona, as stated on other posts, Dollar was at Kamehameha Hotel. Make sure to request KOAN2 location. Just across the street from pier.

[tacobird]

Thanks CaliforniaDreamin, I guess I need to change the reservations into my husbands name so he can pick up the minivan :D