Maui pier parking

[junebug8]

How bad is the parking at the pier? We are on Pride of Aloha mid-June and with some of the horror stories about the parking there, I'm getting nervous. No room past 9pm, getting jammed in, etc....I have booked a room at Kaanapali Ocean Inn (lower budget hotel but it is on the grounds of the Royal Lahaina Resort and about $100 cheaper--plus we get all the R ammenities and use of RLR) for Friday night. As we are attending the luau at the RLR it is a good choice--somewhere to park our stuff for the day, hang out, get off the ship...etc. We are booked on Trilogy for Sat. AM Molokini leaving Maalea (sp??), about 30 minutes away. Is a hotel worth it? Or should we just save the $150? Any suggestions? It just sort of burns me that I have already paid for my room on the ship and am booking another room. Yet...here we are in Hawaii, on Maui! How cool is that!:p

[beachchick]

Well, the drive time from Kahului to Ma'alaea is about 20 minutes (give or take); as you know, the drive from Ka'anapali to Ma'alaea is about 30 minutes (give or take). You're not saving any drive time by staying in the hotel overnight. I know that pier parking has been a huge concern, but some people have talked about arranging with the car rental company to park there overnight. How early you'd be able to get back and pick up the car is a concern though. I seriously doubt shuttles run that early. I don't even know how early the rental companies themselves open up.

 

You've mentioned other quite valid reasons for having the hotel room. If you want hotel facilities, that's the only way to get them because there are no day passes or day rooms available. As well, you won't have to drive back across the island to Kahului after your luau (which means no designated driver required). Plus, you wouldn't have the possible parking problems if you stay at the hotel.

 

If you've rented the hotel room primarily because of the parking difficulties at the pier, then you may want to look into other parking possibilities (such as at the rental company location overnight). If you've reserved the room for all the other reasons (hotel/resort amenities, convenience, not having to drive after the luau), then consider it money well spent for a good cause.

 

beachchick

[jb234]

Our rental car company (Budget) told us that they would allow us to store the car overnight with them for $10 if we couldn't find a spot. It limits you a bit because you have to have the car back by a certain time and then pick up time is also a question. We did not have any trouble finding a spot along the rock wall by the water as the lot closest to the ship was already full--around 6 ish. Our shuttle driver also told us that we could park on the street near these run down/old looking factory buildings as long as we were completely off the shoulder.

[dcikon2]

Is there a 2nd parking lot in the area? I am having second thoughts of Maui due to the parking problem. I am planning on taking a zipline tour the following morning (need to be there by 8:00) and may go to the crate to watch the sun come up. How early can you pick your car up in the morning if you have to leave it at the airport? Are the car rental agencies open up until 9:00 or so? I think we will see a show the first night.

[kaylahszoo]

So- another option. How much is a parking ticket? Maybe I'm not going to let this bother me and just go ahead and pay the parking ticket when I get it for parking in the wrong spot.:D

[Hokies In Georgia]

I am considering taking the car to Kahului Airport and parking it there. It is relatively close to the ship and the parking rate is $7.00 for 24 hours. We can always take a taxi back to the ship if no shuttles are running.

 

In the morning, if no shuttles are running, taking a taxi back over to the airport and dealing with parking seems like a reasonable alternative.

 

Since we will be getting back from Kaanapali at around 9PM or so, I don't have much faith that parking will be available.

[junebug8]

Wow, I never thought of taking it back to the airport and just doing a parking lot there. I know that some people have taken it back to the rental office but hey, airports are open.

 

I also like the idea of the parking ticket. I'm letting this whole parking pier thing worry me. Look at it this way...the parking ticket HAS to be cheaper than renting a :eek: hotel room!

[beachchick]

Wow, I never thought of taking it back to the airport and just doing a parking lot there. I know that some people have taken it back to the rental office but hey, airports are open.

 

I also like the idea of the parking ticket. I'm letting this whole parking pier thing worry me. Look at it this way...the parking ticket HAS to be cheaper than renting a :eek: hotel room!

 

I'm wondering though if they would just give you a parking ticket if you parked illegally at the pier or if, with the security concerns and space issues, they might not just tow the car. Best to check into that before deciding that a parking ticket isn't such a bad thing. I heard one person complain about an $80 parking ticket in Lahaina one time, so that's kind of an ouch.

 

beachchick

[Retired not Expired]

Is there a 2nd parking lot in the area?quote]

 

The sign is small and can be missed but there is a second overflow parking lot. As you are driving in, just as you reach the main lot, there is a street that turns right along the fence. You can park along the wall at the edge of the water. It's not a real long walk for the healthy but you should drop off anyone that has trouble walking before going over there as it is a little uneven and no sidewalks to walk back to the ship.

 

We got there around six and we were the second car in this lot. There are quite a few spots to park there. People were double parked in the main lot.

[DebraDot]

I have decided on a hotel room, but when I talked to the car rental office, the representative there told me there was a health food store that you could park at overnight for a fee - I think it was $10, but not certain of that figure.

[junebug8]

Thanks Debra for the heads-up about the health food store parking. Does anyone know the phone # for the Thrifty car rental in Maui? I'm thinking of calling them and asking them about parking.

 

Ouch, $80 parking ticket!:eek: I still like the idea of actually taking the car back to the airport for $10. I truly hate to spend $150 on a hotel room but at the same time....:rolleyes:

[beachchick]

Thanks Debra for the heads-up about the health food store parking. Does anyone know the phone # for the Thrifty car rental in Maui? I'm thinking of calling them and asking them about parking.

 

Ouch, $80 parking ticket!:eek: I still like the idea of actually taking the car back to the airport for $10. I truly hate to spend $150 on a hotel room but at the same time....:rolleyes:

 

I'm guessing (and this is just a flat out guess) that one of the reasons parking tickets are so expensive is the number of people who would say, "Oh the heck with it! I'll just park here illegally overnight and let them give me a parking ticket." I'd say an $80 ticket might discourage that. I suspect that they also don't hesitate to tow cars parked illegally overnight in certain areas.

 

It's an interesting idea, but not one I'd ever, ever risk--I don't want to wake up the next morning to find out that not only is the car gone but I've got an $80 parking ticket and towing costs to boot.

 

beachchick

 

beachchick

[Brownies52]

I paid attention to this while we were around the pier because of my concern for parking. Then with the pier lot being taking over by the shipment of cars, I knew we'd have no luck parking close by. But we did look at the alternative lot by the wall around the corner. The area around the factory bldgs is marked as a tow zone. Not sure if they are one facility, or have several owners, but we did see a tow truck there after we dropped the kids off at the pier at 9:10pm after the luau. So I'm not sure if only a few cars got towed, or many. Then we parked at the airport $6 and took a cab to the pier around $10. I think I remember the last shuttle from Thrifty is at 8:30pm. Whatever the time, I knew we wouldn't make it back. If you can make the last shuttle, they will check in your car; then in the morning, they will check it out again at the same rate as long as you have your agreement. This is what the sales rep told me. You cannot just park it in their lot as they don't want the liability. The Thrifty Number is 808-877-7208

[ZZ]

Thrifty number provided is no longer in service.