Enterprise Car in Galveston

[justcruzin2]

We are on a RC cruise out of Galveston next year and plan to arrive a day early. We fly into Houston Intercontinental Airport and will drive to Galveston in an Enterprise Rental car, stay overnight and drive the car to the pier next day where it will be returned. We plan to pick up another Enterprise Rental car and drive to Houston Intercontinental on our return date - the day the ship docks.

 

Has anyone done this? My concern is that the Enterprise Rental desk at the pier will be overloaded and it may take hours and we will miss our flight out of Houston. :eek:

[Host Kat]

You might want to read this previous thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=611118 titled Rental cars to/from Galveston - forget it!

Kat

[Hypo]

We have done Enterprise car rentals twice in the past. You do not return the car at the pier, but rather at their rental location out on 61st street. Enterprise used to be open on Sundays and would shuttle you back to the pier, but no more. They are closed on Sundays at that location. You have to call and wait for a taxi to come and pick you up and shuttle you to the pier.

 

We were going to do Hertz rental for our upcoming March cruise on Voyager OTS, but they are closed on Sundays also. You can drop your rental at their location and leave keys and rental agreement in a lock box outside their store. If you read the fine print of your rental agreement, you will find that they will continue to charge you, by the hour, until they open on Monday. This will cost you at least another day of rental charges, plus the possibility of damages to the unattended car or gasoline theft from the car. (I think all of the rental companies are charging for drop offs that are left outside normal business hours, just check carefully before renting). So we are not doing Hertz.

 

What we decided was a better option was to rent a car for the entire week (Alamo) use it for our two day pre-cruise in Galveston, park it at the Port of Galveston "secured/monitored" parking lot, and then return it to Hobby airport when we get back to Galveston. This actually was cheaper than the combined cost of two, separate, one-way rentals from Hertz. And we have the added convenience of not having to shuttle from/to the rental car location.

 

Hypo

[sixgun8]

but when you figure in the cost of parking at the cruise terminal which is like $10 a day from what i have heard doesn't that negate the savings? Or am I wrong about the parking.

[Hypo]

but when you figure in the cost of parking at the cruise terminal which is like $10 a day from what i have heard doesn't that negate the savings? Or am I wrong about the parking.

 

Even figuring the parking, the rate I got from Alamo for the total 9 days, was less than the rate from Hertz for a 3 day pre-cruise rental (which would be charged for 4 days since they continue to charge until they reopen on Monday), $60.00 drop-off charge for the one way rental from Houston to Galveston (some folks have been able to get this fee waived, but it is not a sure thing that they will waive it), taxi charge to get from the Hertz drop off-office back to the port, and the cost of a one-day rental back to Houston.

 

When you add in the cost of your time spent waiting for taxis, shuttles etc on port days it worked out better for us. Also, we want to be early off as we have a 1:30 flight from HOU to LIT. We want tp make that flight as it is a direct with no stops. Having our rental car waiting in the parking lot should speed things up considerably on the end of our cruise.

 

If it works as planned, we will be happy cruisers. I will report back after the cruise with how it actually worked out.

 

Edit: we prepaid the parking on the "Port of Galveston" website, cost for the week is $65.00

 

Hypo

[ansafae]

We're doing the same thing as Hypo. After doing our research and even looking at *gasp* ship transfers, it was WAY cheaper to rent the car from enterprise at IAH, pay the $50 at ezpark or lighthouse for the week, and return it to IAH on the Sunday we leave. I think that is just so beyond RIDCULOUS!! but it's the way the rental agencies have chosen to do business. We were even told by Hertz that they are open on Sunday morning to rent cars OUT to those getting off the ship, but that they won't take any cars back IN during that time and that we'd have to pay until Monday morning. :confused: Don't get it, but that's life.

[bilyclub]

Did you call Enterprise at IAH direct? They told me Galveston was in the same zone, so no drop off charge and no extra day charge. I was quoted a total of $40.

[Hypo]

Did you call Enterprise at IAH direct? They told me Galveston was in the same zone, so no drop off charge and no extra day charge. I was quoted a total of $40.

 

we are flying into Hobby. We have used Enterprise three times in the past, first two times they waived the drop off fee. Third time they charged it and adamantly refused to waive it.

[bilyclub]

I was responding to the OP who was flying into IAH. SWA is the devil. They were cheap at Midway till they crushed ATA. Now SWA is higher then flying out of ORD. Maybe I'm getting the threads confused, there are so many with the same topic....rentals and Galveston..

[Hypo]

I agree, we love cruising out of Galveston, and we can get pretty cheap plights from LIT to HOU on SWA. $70 to $80 each way. The only PITA is the transportation issue from Houston to Galveston. HOU is the closest, IAH is a long drive. Rental car companies are not open in Galveston on Sundays. Shuttles put you on their schedule, limos are expensive.

 

The last time we were in Galveston, our waitress at breakfast was complaining that she did not see why people would want to cruise. She thought that Galveston offered everything that any island could offer. After all, they had a long beach too.

 

I laughed and said that I had yet to find an island with 60 degree water and water that was brown green. She just couldn't picture it. When I first went to Galveston, I expected to see a vibrant resort town. What I found was poor hotels, (unless you go for the really upscale two). Indifferent and lackluster service in the restaurants, and, I felt just an overall, rundown city.

 

we still will cruise out of Galveston, mainly for the convenience, but we won't go there for a beach vacation.

 

Hypo

[kmsu2000]

 

The last time we were in Galveston, our waitress at breakfast was complaining that she did not see why people would want to cruise. She thought that Galveston offered everything that any island could offer. After all, they had a long beach too.

 

I laughed and said that I had yet to find an island with 60 degree water and water that was brown green. She just couldn't picture it. When I first went to Galveston, I expected to see a vibrant resort town. What I found was poor hotels, (unless you go for the really upscale two). Indifferent and lackluster service in the restaurants, and, I felt just an overall, rundown city.

 

Hypo

Very typical texan. Texas is so big and most of texan never see anything outside their own state. I live in Texan for 30 years and I hardly touch the brown and dirty water in Galveston. Actually the water is very warm from April to Oct and too warm during summer time.

[bilyclub]

Picked up my car at IAH today. They stuck with the quote of $40. The counter person walked me out to the car, then the hard sell about buying insurance. Time will tell what this adventure really cost..

[johndru]

Bilyclub, please follow up and let us know how it works out with Enterprise. We are also flying into IAH in March, and are looking at renting from Enterprise on the way down to Galveston, and using Hertz on the return. We're meeting friends in Galveston who are driving down from Burnet, TX, so we'll be picking up the car on Friday, and returning it on Saturday. I'm curious if they only bill you the $40, or if they'll tack on the one way rental once you get your bill.

 

Thanks for the info!

[bilyclub]

Bilyclub, please follow up and let us know how it works out with Enterprise. We are also flying into IAH in March, and are looking at renting from Enterprise on the way down to Galveston, and using Hertz on the return. We're meeting friends in Galveston who are driving down from Burnet, TX, so we'll be picking up the car on Friday, and returning it on Saturday. I'm curious if they only bill you the $40, or if they'll tack on the one way rental once you get your bill.

 

Thanks for the info!

 

Checked my cc today and had a charge for $80, so I'm assuming they charged me the extra day for dropping it in Sunday. I'm calling tomorrow to beef...

[EinDog]

This is a copy of a post I put in a different thread (and will probably also put in the 'Rental cars to/from Galveston thread). I hope this helps future cruisers...

 

We just returned from a cruise out of Galveston on the Voyager.

 

Based upon information from this board, we traveled to the port like this:

 

Called the Enterpise office at IAH to reserve one way car to Galveston. (Can't book this online)

Booked Hertz one-way Galveston to IAH online.

Reserved Courtyard Hotel online.

 

Flew in the night before (arrived 10pm).

 

Rented a car from Enterprise, on way to Galveston. $35.30

Stayed at the Courtyard near IAH. $88.92

 

Sunday:

Dropped DW, Mom, Aunt, Luggage at the Pier.

Dropped the car at the Enterprise lot in Galveston. Unattended. Left keys in box, caught taxi to the Pier. Split the cab fare with another renter.

 

Return Sunday:

Walked to Carnival terminal. Picked up rental contract from Hertz. Shuttle bus to their cars.

Returned to the Pier to pick up DW, Mom, Aunt and luggage.

Dropped Hertz car at IAH. $83.98

 

(All prices as reported on credit card bill online.)

 

Everything worked out fine, but it did not feel like a comfortable, in-control kind of process. If Hertz would allow drops on Sunday to an attended lot (without charging an extra day), or if Enterprise would allow Sunday rentals (and provide a shuttle), it would be much better.

 

The cruise was fine. The hassle getting to and from the port, plus the mess at the terminal will be considered for future bookings. Galveston will have to be cheaper to justify the hassle. (We will fly to whatever port we cruise from.)

 

-Norm

[stevesul]

Checked my cc today and had a charge for $80, so I'm assuming they charged me the extra day for dropping it in Sunday. I'm calling tomorrow to beef...

 

Let me know what they say. I am doing the same thing in three weeks (renting at IAH Enterprise and dropping off Sunday in Galveston). Thanks

[bilyclub]

Sent Enterprise an email saying that the quote was $40 for one day and that I only had the car one day. Got a reply from the manager at IAH that it was a mistake and that I would get a credit which would take a couple days. No credit yet. FYI... The Galveston location is sort of hidden by the highway. There is a gas station about a block down. You have to head north on the frontage road and make a u turn to get to their lot.

[gturay]

Enterprise in notorious for over billing. I rented from Enterprise at the San Pedro docks in Los Angles and dropped the car at LAX the next day and got a slip with one day rental and drop charge - total of $62. My surprise happened when I got my CC statement and saw $176. because the San Pedro office did not get the car back for three days from LAX. They promised a credit but after two more calls and three weeks had to put a dispute on the charge card to get the credit. Watch out for the billing and credits.

[stevesul]

bilyclub- Glad it worked out. Thanks for the follow-up..and the tip on how to get there.

[bilyclub]

A credit showed up today on the CC from Enterprise. It cost me around $125 total for a car both ways including the gas. I figured a shuttle for the two of us was $180 round trip. I would probably do Galveston again, but only if I got a great cruise deal. I have to admit the GPS gizmo was great in the Hertz ride.

[twtudor]

how was the courtyard? we are booked there in march. was this the intercontinental?

 

 

This is a copy of a post I put in a different thread (and will probably also put in the 'Rental cars to/from Galveston thread). I hope this helps future cruisers...

 

We just returned from a cruise out of Galveston on the Voyager.

 

Based upon information from this board, we traveled to the port like this:

 

Called the Enterpise office at IAH to reserve one way car to Galveston. (Can't book this online)

Booked Hertz one-way Galveston to IAH online.

Reserved Courtyard Hotel online.

 

Flew in the night before (arrived 10pm).

 

Rented a car from Enterprise, on way to Galveston. $35.30

Stayed at the Courtyard near IAH. $88.92

 

Sunday:

Dropped DW, Mom, Aunt, Luggage at the Pier.

Dropped the car at the Enterprise lot in Galveston. Unattended. Left keys in box, caught taxi to the Pier. Split the cab fare with another renter.

 

Return Sunday:

Walked to Carnival terminal. Picked up rental contract from Hertz. Shuttle bus to their cars.

Returned to the Pier to pick up DW, Mom, Aunt and luggage.

Dropped Hertz car at IAH. $83.98

 

(All prices as reported on credit card bill online.)

 

Everything worked out fine, but it did not feel like a comfortable, in-control kind of process. If Hertz would allow drops on Sunday to an attended lot (without charging an extra day), or if Enterprise would allow Sunday rentals (and provide a shuttle), it would be much better.

 

The cruise was fine. The hassle getting to and from the port, plus the mess at the terminal will be considered for future bookings. Galveston will have to be cheaper to justify the hassle. (We will fly to whatever port we cruise from.)

 

-Norm

[EinDog]

how was the courtyard? we are booked there in march. was this the intercontinental?

 

The Courtyard was fine. There is a breakfast, but it is not included in the price (it is not well marked that it is an extra charge). My expectations of affordable hotels is not too high, so others may have differing opinions. You can get a hotel shuttle to the Courtyard, the price was good, the rooms were clean. I would stay there again. It is close to IAH, and so worked well with our late arrival into Houston.

 

-Norm