Best way to get 9 people from Sarasota to Port Everglades?

[87aaron]

Trying to get some ideas on how to get 9 people from Sarasota to Port Everglades. We could:

 

Drive 3 cars and pay parking for all of them ($315). I don't like this option though because I prefer to park in the garage and they don't shuttle you to Oasis from the garage.

 

Take the CruiseConnection bus ($720). I don't like this because a 3 hour drive turns into 6 hours and costs more than parking.

 

Take a private charter bus. I like this option, but looks like around $800 round trip. Does anybody know any good cheap companies?

 

Rent 2 minivans/cars. Looks like around $400 to do this, but adds the hassle of dropping off at the airport and getting shuttled to/from the port.

 

Any ideas?

[TakeMeAway1001]

Is the van rental price for both ways? I would choose that option, we always rent a car and drop our luggage and other non drivers off at the port before returning the vans to the airport. Depending on what company you use you could use the shared shuttle or just grab a taxi for about 15. Best of luck :)

[dst]

I would rent a larger van (they have the 12 passenger ones) Then drop everyone off and return the car, the rental companies aren't that far away and they'll bring you back to the pier.

 

You could also rent a limo, you all go in the limo and they can have a van follow you with the luggage. We did this for a trip a few year ago and loved it!

 

Enjoy

[DanJ]

I'm surprised having to walk the length of a ship from the garage to the Oasis terminal would be a deal breaker for driving your own car considering the expense of the other options. I also wouldn't bother renting 2 vehicles. Just rent one minivan and take one of the cars you already were considering driving. Thus you only have to pay to park one, and only pay to rent one. All of the car rental companies are quite close to Port Everglades and if they don't have a shuttle, the cab fare would be quite cheap. For that matter, you could use the car as the shuttle before parking it. Both of you pull into the terminal, drop the luggage and everyone off. One person drives the rental, the other the car and go to the return lot. Hertz, and Thrifty/Dollar are right outside the port gate just up from the Oasis terminal and Budget and Enterprise aren't too much farther. Then come back and park the car and have company on the walk back to the pier.

[BlueHerons]

I like Dan's suggestion.

 

Also, we rented one of those very large vans for nine people and we had plenty of room, luggage and coolers included.

[87aaron]

I'd like to get one of the big passenger vans, but I can't find any in Sarasota for 1 way rentals.

[87aaron]

I'm surprised having to walk the length of a ship from the garage to the Oasis terminal would be a deal breaker for driving your own car considering the expense of the other options.

 

Last time I was there, I didn't see a direct route from the garage to the ship, because I wanted to drop my wife off, park, and walk back. There was little/no sidewalks and no easy way to walk into the port.

[DanJ]

Go down the stairs at the southwest corner of the garage and go outside. Walk directly across the south side of terminal 19, and either go to the other side of Eisenhower to the sidewalk, and walk up to the crosswalk at the curve. Or go straight through 19's parking lot and walk towards the bow of the Oasis. You'll see a gate that goes to the pierside of the ship, and there is a sidewalk right there that goes over to the terminal.