Post-Cruise FLL Car Rental

[sunluva7]

Due to a late flight, we're planning on renting a large SUV in FLL for the day for the 6 of us following our CP cruise in August. Hertz lists Port Everglades as a pickup location, so we figure we would pick up at the port and return it to the airport. Has anyone had any experience with renting a car from the Port and returning it to the airport with Hertz, or with any other company? Any other ideas?

[Debi_D]

We do it all the time and it works out great. You actually pick up the Rental Car Companies Van and they take you to the airport to pick up the car. When you have collected all your luggage and get outside just look for the vans, if they are not there they will be. They know when all the ships come in and they just keep going around the ports picking up other passagers and taking them to the lots. It really is a great system.... We usually find the rates on National for an SUV better than Hertz, I also think you can use priceline for the car rental. Deb

[springtxbill]

The Port and airport ar only a couple of miles from each other, so they are the same. I believe that most rental car companies do not have drop charges in Florida when picking up at one location and dropping at another. Check with your company.

[CruiseFever]

Due to a late flight, we're planning on renting a large SUV in FLL for the day for the 6 of us following our CP cruise in August. Hertz lists Port Everglades as a pickup location, so we figure we would pick up at the port and return it to the airport. Has anyone had any experience with renting a car from the Port and returning it to the airport with Hertz, or with any other company? Any other ideas?

.

 

We've used Budget, Thrifty and Dollar and they will all do just exactly what you want to do. As noted above, you'll wait at curbside after clearing customs for the appropriate rental company van to take you away from Port Everglades and to the rental company office's closeby airport location. When you're done you'll return the car to the same place you picked it up and they'll shuttle you to your airline's departure area.

 

A couple things though...

 

How much luggage do you anticipate having? With 6 people in a full size SUV you'll not have a whole lot of luggage space. I think you can do it especially if some of the passengers are kids but if these are people you have some control over I'd limit the amount of luggage they can take. I only say that because my teen daughters would bring everything including their boyfriends if they could fit them in a suitcase and I would be left running along side the car since there was no space left for me to sit!

 

If you think there might be a problem with that there are a couple other options you might also want to consider

 

One is that if your late flight isn't too late, like say 5 or 6:00pm is one of the ship's post-cruise shore excursions. The Everglades tour is a good one.

 

Another idea is a new concept that's just sprouting up; a private post-cruise tour. Much like the independent shore excursions one might book on line with non-cruise line operators, post cruise excursions are commonly done in a 10 or 15 passenger van which would actually kill two birds with one stone. You wouldn't have to worry about your luggage and all the people would fit.

 

I like this idea because unlike the cruise lines post tours you have control over where it goes and when. If you choose, for example, to go to the Everglades they'll take you there but you might choose (depending on how much time you have) to go shopping or to the beach too. It's an exclusive rental and I've heard of prices starting at $55 for 5 hours.

 

Just some food for thought

[sunluva7]

Good point about the cargo space in the SUV. I plan to rent an 8-passenger Excursion, which I was hoping would seat the 6 of us and all of our luggage. We rented a Dodge Durango once to move my daughter home from college with 4 passengers and most of her dorm, so what do you think - will it work? :confused:

 

I've thought of the post-cruise excursions, but for a family of 6 it would be very expensive. It's cheaper to rent the Excursion.

 

Thanks for your help.

[sunluva7]

So, it doesn't matter if I choose to pick up at "Port Everglades" or "FLL Airport" because it's the same location - is that correct? :confused:

[TrentS]

EXACTLY... Port Everglades and FLL Airport are adjacent to each other and the rental car companies will shuttle you to/from either.