Renting a car in Honolulu and Maui

[ACJV]

Please help,

We are going on the Summit in March. Am needing information about the closest rental agencies in these two ports. Please let me know if you have experience in these ports.

Thanks so much,

Vicki

[RockyTopMom]

Vicki: What is your March sail date? There is a large group who leave out of Los Angeles on the Summit on the 17th. If this is your sail date, come on over to the roll call thread and join us. (3/17/06-14 night Hawaii)

 

There are a number of threads about car rentals in all the ports on this Hawaii Ports of Call Section. What you will want to be careful about is if they offer a pier shuttle. Many are from the airport and it will cost about $25.00 each way to pick the car up and return it. If you have a preference in rentals (Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Avis, etc.), I would go to their web site and see what they offer in the location you are researching.

[bccruiser2007]

Hi Vicki

Just returned from Hawaii. Rented cars in Hilo, Maui, Kauai and Honolulu.

In Maui, rented from Thriftys (Booked on line and had Thriftys Blue Chip Card). They upgraded us to a PT Cruiser Convertible. We were picked up by shuttle at the cruise ship. Took us to their location 5-10 minutes from cruise port, close to airport.

Did not pre book car rental in Honolulu (spent 3 days after cruise). First day in Honolulu, went to Internet Cafe and looked online at breezenet.com. (This gives you the best rates of all car companies). Most car rental companies were $45.00 - 60.00 per day. Noticed Alamo was only $30.00/day (intermediate car). Then went to Alamo.com (used coupon in the Hawaii Enertainment book and got another $10.00 off for the 2 days.)

You can either pick car up at Airport or Waikiki. (We were fortunate as the Waikiki location was right across the street from the hotel we were staying.) (Ilikia Hotel).

 

Hope this is some help.

 

John

[ACJV]

Thank you for the information. We are sailing on the Summit March 3. Does anyone know where ships dock in Maui an Honolulu? I am trying to find out the easiest place to rent a car from that will be the closest to where the ship will be docked. Any help will be appreciated. I need names of the areas of town. Thanks.

Vicki

[lindajeff]

All of the major car rental companies have free shuttles to/from the piers (I beleive that Lahaina on Maui is the sole exception). Pick your favorite and go for it. Once you have made the ressie, call the local number for the rental location and verify shuttle service. Also there have been some sad tales regarding "downtown" loacations in Honolulu, For it, just get a HNL rental.

[beachchick]

Thank you for the information. We are sailing on the Summit March 3. Does anyone know where ships dock in Maui an Honolulu? I am trying to find out the easiest place to rent a car from that will be the closest to where the ship will be docked. Any help will be appreciated. I need names of the areas of town. Thanks.

Vicki

 

It depends on which side of the island your ship comes in.

 

In Kahului (east), you would be docked and rent from the Kahului airport locations (about 10 minutes shuttle ride from the dock, if that). Airport designator: OGG. This is the primary airport on Maui. The NCLA "Pride of" ships dock in Kahului. Rental locations are almost all open late for evening flights.

 

In Lahaina (west), you would be tendered and come in to "downtown" Lahaina. The closest rental locations will be at the West Maui Airport (or Enterprise at the Sheraton on Ka'anapali beach--don't be fooled by the Lahaina address, it's not in Lahaina). Airport designator: JHM. I don't know how late those locations are open.

 

There are no major car rental companies right in Lahaina, but they pretty much all send shuttles to the tender pier from the West Maui Airport locations. It's 10 or 12 minutes from Lahaina to the west locations. They will NOT shuttle from Kahului to Lahaina. It's a 45 minute to 1 hour drive one way and would be cost prohibitive in time and fuel. And you don't want to spend that much time getting a car anyway. The JHM rental locations may be more expensive (I don't know), but don't worry about that. If you tried to "save money" by renting at the Kahului airport, you'd have to spend more than $100 taxi there and back or spend hours going by bus (and your vacation time is worth more).

 

Hope that helps.

 

beachchick

[ACJV]

Thanks beachchick, we are going to be docking in Lahani (Spelling?) Anyway, did you rent a car n Honolulu? We want to make sure to do that the right way also. I appreciate the information.

Vicki

[CamelliaCity]

Hi Vicki

Just returned from Hawaii. Rented cars in Hilo, Maui, Kauai and Honolulu.

In Maui, rented from Thriftys (Booked on line and had Thriftys Blue Chip Card). They upgraded us to a PT Cruiser Convertible. We were picked up by shuttle at the cruise ship. Took us to their location 5-10 minutes from cruise port, close to airport.

Did not pre book car rental in Honolulu (spent 3 days after cruise). First day in Honolulu, went to Internet Cafe and looked online at breezenet.com. (This gives you the best rates of all car companies). Most car rental companies were $45.00 - 60.00 per day. Noticed Alamo was only $30.00/day (intermediate car). Then went to Alamo.com (used coupon in the Hawaii Enertainment book and got another $10.00 off for the 2 days.)

You can either pick car up at Airport or Waikiki. (We were fortunate as the Waikiki location was right across the street from the hotel we were staying.) (Ilikia Hotel).

 

Hope this is some help.

 

John

 

I know this is probably a dumb question....but, how do you use the EB coupon? We'd like to do that too.

 

We have delayed ordering an EB because I didn't know how to use the coupons since we were booking everything online and paying with credit card.

 

Thanks for any info.

[bccruiser2007]

The Hawaii Entertainment books are now $30.00. We were too late to order one on line before we left, so searched the internet and found a charitable organization in Hawaii that sold the book. We made contact by email and they were nice enough to deliver right to our cruise ship the day we left.

The main reason we bought the book was the Polynesean Cultural Centre in Oahu had a 2 for 1 coupon, which saved us $40.00.

We also saved on the 2 restaurants that are located at the Ilikai Hotel which we stayed at. (Canoes and the Japanese Restaurant).

 

John

[beachchick]

Thanks beachchick, we are going to be docking in Lahani (Spelling?) Anyway, did you rent a car n Honolulu? We want to make sure to do that the right way also. I appreciate the information.

Vicki

 

We rented a car in Honolulu, but it was part of a land package I booked online. It was with Alamo, and we asked to pick up at the downtown location, but return to the airport. That was no problem.

 

I guess the only reccomendation I can make as far as how to rent the right way is that most of the major companies send shuttles to the piers when ships are in port, so it doesn't make much difference. We go primarily by price and whether the company is in the EB. Some of the companies in the book only allow you to use their EB discount code in Hawaii; some also allow you to use applicable coupons (but several specify that the coupons are only honored in the 48 contiguous states). Just make sure that the company you rent from sends shuttles to the pier.

 

CamelliaCity: We go to the websites of the various companies and check pricing (by starting through the reservation process). When you do that, there's a place to add coupon codes. Put the code on the coupon there and continue your reservation request. They'll tell you whether the coupon is applicable (and usually remind you that you must present the coupon when you pick up your rental). When you go through to see the pricing, you'll see how much the coupon savings is (and usually how much the EB discount is as well). That's all you need to do.

 

beachchick

[CamelliaCity]

Thanks for the info on the EB discount coupon.

[donanderson]

Thanks beachchick, we are going to be docking in Lahani (Spelling?) Anyway, did you rent a car n Honolulu? We want to make sure to do that the right way also. I appreciate the information.

Vicki

 

HI, Vicki...We're on the same cruise and in the CC party with you. We also want to rent a car in Honolulu on Sat Mar 10 from about 10:30 until 6PM. Sunday we're doing the Arizona/Might Mo tour. I'm also researching rental prices in Honolulu. Lets talk and compare what we find. Maybe we can share a car or van? We'll be with another couple.

 

Were you on the Empress last year or the Grandeur out of Galveston a couple years ago? We met with you and had dinner before the cruise. Name rings a bell. Might be old age creeping in...

 

daanderson@(omit this)socal.rr.com

 

Don

[RSWBADGER]

Google Search for Honolulu Car rentals and map near Pier and Waikiki

 

http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...lu+car+rentals

 

I was quoted the following prices from Avis near Waikiki

Subcompact 35.99 day

Standard 45.99 day

 

Avis www.avis.com

Ohana East Hotel

148 Kaiulani Ave, Waikiki

Honolulu, Hi 96815

__________________

[RSWBADGER]

Google Search for Honolulu Car rentals and map near Pier and Waikiki

 

http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...lu+car+rentals

 

I was quoted the following prices from Avis near Waikiki

Subcompact 35.99 day

Standard 45.99 day

 

Avis www.avis.com

Ohana East Hotel

148 Kaiulani Ave, Waikiki

Honolulu, Hi 96815

http://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=hotel+car+rentals&near=Honolulu,+HI&ie=UTF8&z=12&ll=21.309526,-157.858429&spn=0.139455,0.2314&*****=1&iwloc=Bhttp://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=hotel+car+rentals&near=Honolulu,+HI&ie=UTF8&z=12&ll=21.309526,-157.858429&spn=0.139455,0.2314&*****=1&iwloc=B

__________________

[bccruiser2007]

I know this is probably a dumb question....but, how do you use the EB coupon? We'd like to do that too.

 

We have delayed ordering an EB because I didn't know how to use the coupons since we were booking everything online and paying with credit card.

 

Thanks for any info.

 

I believe most EB Books (ie we live in Vancouver and the Vancouver EB has the same coupon as the Hawaii Book) in the back of the book have coupons for some of the major car rental companies. There is a coupon code you put in when booking on line. When you arrive at the car rental location, you give them the coupon at that time.

 

John

[beachchick]

I believe most EB Books (ie we live in Vancouver and the Vancouver EB has the same coupon as the Hawaii Book) in the back of the book have coupons for some of the major car rental companies. There is a coupon code you put in when booking on line. When you arrive at the car rental location, you give them the coupon at that time.

 

John

 

Some of the companies do not honor the coupons for Hawaii rentals. The back of the coupons say something like "the 48 contiguous states..." I know Alamo and National do honor them and Avis does not. I can't remember about the others. They all honor the EB discount code, just not necessarily the coupons.

 

beachchick