National Car rental near Port Canaveral?

[dizzneebabe]

Hi all-

I've done a search on google and on these boards, but keep getting conflicting/old information.

We are planning on renting a car from the Port after our March cruise. National has the best rate for a mini van that I have found so far (been punching in codes on every site ALL MORNING now). So...does National have a shuttle service like the others I'm seeing??? Do we take a taxi? We're using Avis for the MCO-Port run, but the fees are twice as much as National on the return.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Zeppelin]

Hi all-

I've done a search on google and on these boards, but keep getting conflicting/old information.

We are planning on renting a car from the Port after our March cruise. National has the best rate for a mini van that I have found so far (been punching in codes on every site ALL MORNING now). So...does National have a shuttle service like the others I'm seeing??? Do we take a taxi? We're using Avis for the MCO-Port run, but the fees are twice as much as National on the return.

Thanks for your help!

i used them in 2009 and was told there was a shuttle by a customer service rep in a foreign country only to find out there wasn't a National shuttle when we disembarked...as a result I had to pay a $25 taxi ride to get to the National office- i complained and got a bunch of garbage coupons....you should try and call the Cocoa Beach office directly to see it that has since changed...

i will tell you this; we rented from Budget going to Cocoa (the night before) and took Dollar leaving the cruise and it was a nightmare waiting at both places...we actually split a shuttle-taxi with another cruiser we met at the Budget office to get to the cruise as the wait for the budget shuttles was horrifically long- this was August though...

btw- good chance the rates go down between now and March...i got the best deals just weeks before the cruise...

 

[dizzneebabe]

Thanks, Zeppelin. I think I read a post of yours regarding that. I booked through Avis for a minivan for $106 for the night before. I always keep watch and will modify it if the rates change. National had a minivan for $78, dropping off at the Dolphin at WDW. I booked it, figuring even if DH had to take a taxi to pick it up, it would be less than the others. Either way, it's still less than ME for 5 of us. Ideally, we could all go together on a shuttle, so I'll give them a call.

 

[mississaugamom]

We had a rental with National that we picked up at MCO and returned to Port Canaveral. Drop-off is at the Enterprise location, and there IS a shuttle to and from the port. However, the shuttle was much more disorganized than our previous experience with Budget. We returned the car at 10 am, and were at first told the shuttle would be at 11:30! However, after we (and several others) complained, they left about 10:45 but went to drop passengers at Carnival first. There was a new drop-off procedure there, so a further delay but we were at the port before 11:30.

Arlene

 

[Capt_BJ]

True

several years ago there was a National office in Cape Canaveral. Then that office became an ENTERPRISE office and the only National location was near Melbourne airport.

In the last couple of months, one of the shuttle busses used by the Enterprise office began sporting the National and Alamo logos as well as Enterprise. And if you search locations for these two companies now, they will show a location in CC which is the same street address a the Enterprise office.

Note however that the office itself does NOT have an ALAMO or National sign (yet?) as compared to the shared Dollar/Thrify location which DOES sport both signs.

You may want to call the Cape Canaveral location just to be 110% percent sure.

With regard to the shuttle's performance ... in general the car rental offices are small here - as compared to large airport facilities - and when 3 large ships arrive at the same time and dump all their "me first" folks at the same time .... well, do the math.

 

[TDC Nala]

I did see a shuttle that said National/Alamo/Enterprise while waiting for the Avis shuttle.

 

[dizzneebabe]

Thanks for the responses! Avis seems to be ok from what I read...I'll definitely double check with the National/Enterprise/Alamo rental office as far as a shuttle is concerned. Are they really all in one???