Rental car to/from port

[tinytinkmom]

We’re Platinum cruisers, but have never done a rental car to/from Port Canaveral. What do you guys usually do for your rental car pickup and drop off times? At the start of the cruise, we’ll be getting the van at one of the Lake Buena Vista hotels, then picking up friends at an airport hotel and driving out to the port. I currently have that reservation for an 8am pickup and noon drop off. Does that sound about right? And we’ll have a group of 8 - do you usually drop off part of the group and luggage at the port, then return the car, or do you have everyone go to the rental car drop off?

After the cruise, what time do you usually pick up your rental car? Our flight isn’t until the afternoon, so we’re planning on going to the outlet mall, or maybe mini golf.

Thanks so much for any advice you have!

 

[kylaura]

Noon sounds about right. Pick up when you leave, about 9 AM. Enterprise is near the port is easy to work with, has shuttles.

 

[SnowWhite2]

Definitely drop everyone off with luggage at the terminal then return the rental car. It is much easier to jump on a shuttle to port as a single person with no luggage. You will just need your passport and/or driver's license to get into the port.

As for pickup, we usually put 8 am. We usually have early seating and get off the ship early.

 

[DisneYE]

I've never rented a car with a large group as yours, but for the 3 of us we've rented a couple of times (I recommend Budget fastbreak- its free to sign up and its a breeze).
Once we parked at the port and it was super easy but on the expensive side
The other time I did what you're saying but it was stressful having to drop off the car, go to port, and the same on the way back. It was a pain.
I would suggest looking into doing a shuttle service in Orlando (we used Happy Limo). We did it on our last cruise and the experience was so seamless and relaxing we plan on doing it every time we cruise out of PC in the future.
Happy cruisin'

 

[Pinkgurlshubby]

I've done both..Dropped everyone off at the port and brought the car back and taken the shuttle back to join them. We have also just brought the car and all of us taken the shuttle. Agreed it's easier to be along in the shuttle. No matter how they try crowd control at the car rentals people jump and bud ahead. We barely made the bus and were one of the first in line. I'd drop everyone off. Chances the bags have all been picked up but the time you get back.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Usually rent from Alamo/National. Since we spend a few days at WDW prior to our cruises, we pick up the rental either at the beginning of our trip or the day prior to the cruise, depending on rental rates. If picking up at the start of our visit, we pick up at MCO, of course. If picking up the day prior to the cruise, we use the Dolphin since we stay at the Boardwalk on DVC points. In either case, we drop off luggage and DW at the port, return the car, and I take the shuttle back to the ship. That way, I usually can get on any available shuttle since I am unencumbered with luggage. I have never waited more than 10 minutes for the shuttle back to the port this way.

We have never picked up a rental at PC after the cruise, since we are heading to MCO from there and the DCL bus works well for the 2 of us. However, we have cruised on the Magic from Miami multiple times, combining with a WDW stay after the cruise. We take the free shuttle from the port to the car rental center at MIA or use Uber/Lyft depending on how we feel when we get off the ship. With early seating, we have plenty of time to have breakfast on the MDR on debarkation day and still get to the airport for a 10 am pickup. I usually don’t want too early a car pickup since I’ll keep the car for the full 24 hours I have to pay for, dropping off the following morning at the Dolphin. I don’t want to have to turn in the car too early the next day. Once we were already at the car rental center about 9:30 am.

 

[tigerchic89]

We've done this with Avis. It was super cheap, we were able to make 2 stops on our way to PC (for breakfast of our choice and a Publix stop at one of the last exists before PC).. there's a gas station in front of that Publix, so we filled the rental there. The car drop/waiting on the shuttle probably added 30 minutes to our morning, but it was worth it to us to save the $$$ and get the stops that we wanted.