Tour Kiosks at pier

[nerisews]

Are there tour kiosks on the pier of Hawaiian ports, as there are on other cruises? Can you make last minute tour choices when you get to each port and decide what you feel like doing for the day?

 

I'm trying to decide whether to rent a car in Maui, Hilo, Kona and Kauai to strike out on my own or take either a ship sponsored tour or an independent tour.

[spleen93]

Not sure about the kiosks. My impression was that there weren't but some people have come back and reported that there were ... so there you are.

 

But if you have any interest in renting a car, I would rent it beforehand. You don't lose anything if you decide not to pick it up (they won't charge you if you don't show up) and you avoid the risk of them running out of cars.

 

Spleen

[nerisews]

I reserved cars in each port but couldn't get a weekly rate even though I'd be renting for 7 days since it was a day here and a day there. And the agent I talked with wasn't clear on how I would get to the rental office in each port or how long a drive it was.

[spleen93]

It's best to talk to the local offices. Look online for the car rental agency that you booked with, look up their local offices in the islands. Call the local numbers listed for each port stop and you should be able to find out how they handle cruise ship passengers (most of them have some plan). If you do a search here on your car rental agency, you'll also find lots of experience from other cruisers who have rented cars and detail how they got to the car rental agency.

 

Spleen

[SweetEmi]

Kona has several of those Activity booths within a short walk of the pier. I don't know if anything is right at the pier when you get off the tender but just turn right at the street and walk a block or so and there will be several around.

 

Have a wonderful time!!

Emi

[Ruth]

It's best to talk to the local offices. Look online for the car rental agency that you booked with, look up their local offices in the islands. Call the local numbers listed for each port stop and you should be able to find out how they handle cruise ship passengers (most of them have some plan). If you do a search here on your car rental agency, you'll also find lots of experience from other cruisers who have rented cars and detail how they got to the car rental agency.

 

Spleen

Hello Spleen,

I did call a couple of the islands local rental car numbers....I was told the same thing at each place...I had to book on line...Local Thrifty numbers on the islands would not take reservations. I am just paying the daily rate....I also have a blue chip member card...which will allow me to have my car ready to go as I arrive.

Hope it will be worth the little extra I would be paying.

[spleen93]

Ruth - no, not for the reservation. You WILL have to call the national line (or book online) for that. But to get information regardng shuttles and/or directions on how to get to the pickup location of the cars - that, you need to contact the local offices. The national offices are typically clueless about how that works, especially in exceptions such as cruise line pickups.

 

Spleen

[dnemke]

I am wondering too, ok, I see ther is Kona. What about the other ports?