Really need help with MIA port and rental cars!

[pirate]

Just booked our 4th cruise, but our first out of Miami, so I'm
staying tuned to this thread hoping to find out all the details
I can. Our current plans are to fly into Miami the day before, so
I need to know about getting from the airport to our hotel and
then to the port the next morning. After the cruise, we would
like to rent a car and drive to WDW. So I really need all the
Miami info I can get. So everyone please feel free to let the
info flow. Thanks in advance for all your help!

 

[gigi1313]

Poison Ivy is correct. There is no shuttle from the downtown car rental locations. Taxi it is.

MJ

Hertz offers a shuttle to downtown rental location.

To the poster who asked about waiting for dh to go get rental and come back, I don't advise it; go with him.

We opted to wait, and of course my youngest had to use the rest room while we were waiting (I also had a 17yo to wait with our luggage, etc) and we were told by port employees to use the public restroom in some cruise port office building across the street and it was VERY sketchy! Now, I am a former NYCity gal, have ridden subways, walked down dark streets in the boroughs, etc but this was one of the most nervous I have ever been! We had to go through empty dirty hallways, up a flight of stairs, through an abandoned office building that had no security nor did I see any occupants (it was a Sunday) into a dark desolate rest room that had unmentionables on the floor... THANK GOD FOR CLOROX WIPES! We did come out unscathed, but I would not want to chance it again.

Plus, by the time dh got back (via taxi w/out a rental because the Hertz off-site hotel location w/the lock box for keys was out of order) there was not a single soul around except us! There were no ships sailing back out that day (DCL Magic was repo'ing to Canaveral empty) so it was empty and a bit unnerving!

 

[mmouse37]

Some more beach pics, as we left Port of Miami.

MJ

 

[ktate82]

We decided to do two one way rentals. It ended up being $135 for both (Alamo through Costco). We figured we would all take the Alamo shuttle to and from port from MIA.