Confused on car rentals

[vickwick]

Which one of these companies have you had the best results from, Thrifty or Dollar? Is it best to book thru the ship or online? Do you have to pick the cars up at the airport or do they meet you at the dock? I will be renting cars in Hilo and Kauai. Any suggestions.

[TSUmom]

We have always used Thrifty because we are blue chip members. Thrifty has a shuttle that meets you at the pier and takes you to the rental lot, all of the major rental places do I believe. We have not used the ship car rental program as we reserve ours online with Thrifty in advance. Hope this helps.

[dougweaver]

Its seems Thrifty comes highly recommended from most people of this board except in Kauai. The office there supposed is understaffed which has caused some delays. Because of this I switched our Kauai rental over to Budget but stuck with Thrifty in the other ports. Do join the Blue Chip program with Thrifty ... I have been told it speeds the process. Have a great trip! dpw

[Bucky3]

Join Blue Chip and use Thrifty. We had no problem in Kauai - just be sure to get off the ship asap. There should be a special line (we're always first!) for Blue Chip members. There are horror stories about all the car companies. We have used many of them and had very few problems with any of them. It's the luck of the draw. Go with the best price at any of the majors and hope for the best. Aloha!

[CC Help Michell]

Join Blue Chip and use Thrifty. We had no problem in Kauai - just be sure to get off the ship asap. There should be a special line (we're always first!) for Blue Chip members. There are horror stories about all the car companies. We have used many of them and had very few problems with any of them. It's the luck of the draw. Go with the best price at any of the majors and hope for the best. Aloha!

 

I'm one of those who had a bad experience in Kauai with Thrifty, but I'm hardly alone, even as I've repeatedly acknowledged that others haven't reported having a problem there. However, just in this tiny corner of the internet (this CC Hawaii message board) there have been more than a few reports of problems at this Thrifty office. There have been enough reports here at CC that I think it truly IS a chronic problem at this particular office, and NOT just "luck of the draw." I'm not down on Thrifty -- loved their service elsewhere in Hawaii and the other places we have used them.

 

By the way, our issues had nothing to do with us not getting off the ship ASAP (we did) or with our not being Blue Chip (we were), or crowds/being first in line (we were first in line, ahead of one other couple that also was Blue Chip, and no other customers were in the office). We still watched three employees typing busily away for nearly 15 minutes (without even acknowledging us with a "be right with you,") before a fourth person finally came from some back office to wait on us.

 

There were some other issues too (like our assigned car was blocked in, requiring us to go report that and wait for someone to move the blocking vehicle, etc.) -- as a result it was nearly an hour after we left the ship before we drove away from the rental office, which we deemed unacceptable. I don't consider it a "horror story," but that office needlessly wasted our precious time on Kauai, and I wouldn't recommend them -- I wish I had heeded the stories I'd read here before we "just rented with Thrifty" on Kauai, thinking it would be fine.

 

To the OP, Thrifty and Dollar are actually the same company, and we have used both in lots of places with no issues. You will almost always do better on price renting on your own than through the ship, and it's easy as pie. It's not like an international rental where additional concerns come into play -- it's just another state when it comes to car rentals.

[cjnky]

How do we become a "blue chip" member?

[CC Help Michell]

How do we become a "blue chip" member?

 

You just sign up for it at Thrifty's site -- it's their loyalty program. Here's a link with more information. https://www.thrifty.com/bluechip/

[wmbjr]

How do we become a "blue chip" member?

 

Sign up for free at the Thrifty website. It does require you to put a credit card on file when you make your reservations (it is done so they can have all the paperwork done ahead of time).

 

https://www.thrifty.com/bluechip/ Should get you started.

[Bucky3]

MichellP - Guess we have just been lucky on Kauai! I really think everyone has a different experience with car rentals. Here's our horror story: We reserved months in advance with Enterprise at the Sheraton in Kaanapali where we had rented several times before. We called as we tendered in and guess what - no record of our reservation even though I had the number in hand and the name of the person who made it. BUT, no cars were available! Luckily a fellow tender rider heard our conversation. He said when he goes to Hawaii he always reserves cars with TWO different companies just to be sure he will have a car from one! He offered one of his reservations (happened to be with Dollar) to us! We lucked out! I hope that person always ends up cancelling what is not being used - perhaps that's why cars were in such limited supply the day we were in Maui last December (not during the holidays even) Our experience plus those I've read here prompted my answer. Sometimes it is just plain luck no matter the rental company used. Fortunately (and we have rented on all the islands both on land and cruise vacations for years) we HAVE been lucky! I did learn a lesson on that Lahaina trip - I'll never leave home thinking a reservation made months in advance will most certainly be honored - I'll check just before leaving home next time! You're sure right: Wasting precious time at a car rental office is not a good start to a beautiful day! Aloha!

[cjnky]

Thanks for the info!:)

[CC Help Michell]

MichellP - Guess we have just been lucky on Kauai! I really think everyone has a different experience with car rentals. Here's our horror story: We reserved months in advance with Enterprise at the Sheraton in Kaanapali where we had rented several times before. We called as we tendered in and guess what - no record of our reservation even though I had the number in hand and the name of the person who made it. BUT, no cars were available! Luckily a fellow tender rider heard our conversation. He said when he goes to Hawaii he always reserves cars with TWO different companies just to be sure he will have a car from one! He offered one of his reservations (happened to be with Dollar) to us! We lucked out! I hope that person always ends up cancelling what is not being used - perhaps that's why cars were in such limited supply the day we were in Maui last December (not during the holidays even) Our experience plus those I've read here prompted my answer. Sometimes it is just plain luck no matter the rental company used. Fortunately (and we have rented on all the islands both on land and cruise vacations for years) we HAVE been lucky! I did learn a lesson on that Lahaina trip - I'll never leave home thinking a reservation made months in advance will most certainly be honored - I'll check just before leaving home next time! You're sure right: Wasting precious time at a car rental office is not a good start to a beautiful day! Aloha!

 

Wow, you were SO lucky! What are the odds of that happening, and that man just happening to overhear your story!? I'm a neurotic checker-of-reservations. I double check all cars, etc. the week before the trip, but for a few months in advance I also periodically check our cruise reservation (to be sure we haven't been "upgraded" without being notified -- some cabin changes the line considers an upgrade I don't!), and also airline reservations (all airlines have become pretty irritating lately about changing flight times, sometimes by hours, or cancelling flights, and not letting you know in enough time to make alternative arrangements).

 

Thanks for sharing that story, and the good advice to check your reservations before leaving home. Aloha!

[Still Dreaming]

I did priceline for our car rental in Maui and Kauai. I was happy with our 30.00 per day plus taxes and fees for a total of 80.10 for 2 days. After reading all the forums telling people to go to thrifty I decided it would be a good chance to get someone else to avoid the crowd. Hopefully everything will go well with Hertz.

[Nancyquilts]

Kauai Thrifty was slow this week too. Not only that, the car hadn't been gassed up, so we had to wait for a break in the booking lines to get it gassed up. But had a lovely time - try to hit the Kilauai lighthouse area just after 10am if you're going up the east side.

You didn't ask, but for those renting in Kona, be sure to rent from Thrifty or Dollar at the King Kam (same desk and personnel for both). Just steps from the tender pier. Nancy

[dougweaver]

Kauai Thrifty was slow this week too. Not only that, the car hadn't been gassed up, so we had to wait for a break in the booking lines to get it gassed up. But had a lovely time - try to hit the Kilauai lighthouse area just after 10am if you're going up the east side.

You didn't ask, but for those renting in Kona, be sure to rent from Thrifty or Dollar at the King Kam (same desk and personnel for both). Just steps from the tender pier. Nancy

Hi Nancy ... why do you recommend the lighthouse just after 10am? By the way my mother is a quilter also. dpw

[beachchick]

Aloha.

 

Which one of these companies have you had the best results from, Thrifty or Dollar?

 

We've had equally fine experiences with Thrifty, Dollar, National, Avis, and Alamo. I am not one of the members who recommends Thrifty over all others for cruise pax. We do not find them better (or worse) than any of the other major companies. We go solely by price, availability, and (for cruises) whether they send shuttles to the pier.

 

The only exception is Kona where either Thrifty or Dollar are the best choices because they have cruise-pax only locations at the King Kamehameha Hotel, which is right across the street from the tender pier. The Kona aiport is 25 to 30 minutes one-way by shuttle.

 

Is it best to book thru the ship or online?

 

Book it yourself. Booking through the cruise line offers you basically no benefit. You do not get priority for the shuttles or for check in at the rental locations. Do rent in advance and check prices from time to time; we almost always end up cancellng and rebooking at lower rates, but never wait until the last minute because they do sometimes sell out. By booking early, we know we've got a car, but can still check for lower rates. Book online where you don't have to give a CC number to hold it and there are no penalties for cancelling even at the last minute.

 

Do you have to pick the cars up at the airport or do they meet you at the dock?

 

There are no cars available right at any of the piers. It's logistically not possible in terms of space, security, personnel, and so forth. There will be shuttles for the various companies at the pier; the airports are mostly 10 minutes or so by shuttle.

 

I will be renting cars in Hilo and Kauai. Any suggestions.

 

Those are two of the easiest locations. The airports are less than 10 minutes away, and most of the companies send shuttles to the pier. We haven't used Thrifty at Lihue, so I can't comment on the problems other have experienced. However, I don't doubt that they have had those issues. It's one of the smaller airports where most companies have smaller offices (with corresondingly smaller staffs), and fewer cars.

 

Have a wonderful time.

 

beachchick

[dharmapath]

I was on the POALH on March 5 this year and rented in Maui and Kauai. Used Thrifty as recommended by these boards. Oddly there were very few people using Thrifty first thing off the boat on my cruise so I first in line in each case. Kauai we had to wait for the shuttle because on mechanical problems, but it was only 30 min. The staff helped us right away and had no issues. In Maui same but had 1 small issue. There was a scratch on the bumper that I missed when they ask you to check the car for damage. When I returned they said I caused it even though it looked old. My fault I know, but just as word of caution check the car and mark every little dent and scratch so the dont try to make you responsible for prior damage. Funny in Kauai the didn't even check the car when I returned it.

[whale-watcher]

We used Hertz in Kauai, and it was quick and easy...the shuttle was waiting for us at the dock, and the whole process took less than 10 minutes from the time I walked off the ship (I am a Hertz Gold member, but there was ample staff and no lines at the regular counter either). Thrifty was great in HNL and OGG/Maui for us.

[Nancyquilts]

Hi Nancy ... why do you recommend the lighthouse just after 10am? By the way my mother is a quilter also. dpw

THe road to the lighthouse doesn't open until 10am. Until then you can look at the birds on the cliffs. If you get there right around 10, you might be able to park up the hill (by the lighthouse) where it says "handicapped". There are 2 handicapped stalls, but around 8-10 other parking places. Nancy

[calgary-cruiser]

Which one of these companies have you had the best results from, Thrifty or Dollar? Is it best to book thru the ship or online? Do you have to pick the cars up at the airport or do they meet you at the dock? I will be renting cars in Hilo and Kauai. Any suggestions.

 

Travelocity seems to match (close enough) to the rental company itself. We did a mixture of Travelocity booking with the company. I'd surf Travelocity first then pick which had best rate.

 

note: In Kona -- Budget does not do a shuttle to the cruise ship. It's a $25.00 cab each way to airport.

[AussieKathy]

We had problems with Thrifty as well. Long lines. I actually swapped companies on one of the ports. I think it was Maui. Thrifty had a long line and the other companies hardly had anyone at them. Unfortunately being from another country I couldn't join up on the Blue Chip.

 

I am trying either Dollar or Hertz this time round.

[pastfinder]

I used Thrifty and had great service in all the ports including Kauai. Through CC, I learned about http://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com/cruiseshipreservation.htm. This helped a great deal. I had never used Thrify before. but found they beat the other agencies for mini vans. I did sign up for Blue Chip and for email notification of specials. That allowed me to cancel and rebook a better deal in 2 of the ports before our POH cruise. Actually, the deals were without the corporate rate so be sure to check and recheck the prices both ways.

 

Kathy

[vickwick]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. These boards are very helpful.