Car Rentals

We are going to rent a car in 4 of the ports we dock in. How can I find out what location the cruise ship docks at and what rental car companies are available at the port.

thanks

We have booked our car rentals for each port.  When you get off of the ship the car rental agencies are normally there waiting for you and they will shuttle you to the agency to pick up your car.   In Kona you can rent a car from Dollar rental and just walk across the street to the hotel to get the car, the only problem is drop off they are only open till noon, if you drop off at the airport there is a 50.00 charge.

I found the best prices as Budget in Hilo, Maui and Kauai and Dollar for Ohau and Kona.  I put the local phone number of each agency in my cell phone already in case I need to call.

We have done this twice before and never had any problems.    This is the best way to see each Island, go to your local library and get a book on each island to plan out your day -

If you go to the Hawaii chamber of commerce website you can request free travel planners for each island, inside you will see the location of where the ship ports. 

Thanks for the information. If they aren't open after noon, where do you suggest renting from? Do they have a drop box for after hours return?

I've been told that something to keep in mind when renting a car in Hawaii is an additional charge if you are going off-roading.  From that I understand, there is something in the cars (gps/camera) the tells the agency whether or not you've been off-roading.  So, they will know and you will be billed the additional fees.

I know there are areas that are off-limits to rentals. The agency tells you and we had to sign a paper stating we understood. We usually spend 2 weeks on an island so these one day stops are going to be rushed. I do recommend doing your own coffee tasting tour. We have been buying coffee from the same Kona plantation since 2000.