Dropping off rental car at Port Canaveral

[byanks7]

Another vote for budget, the office is on the same road as the port

 

[orum]

We have used Avis for 3 cruises out of port canaveral. The one way rental doesn’t cost extra and allows us to be on our schedule vs scheduling a town car/van/Disney transportation.

 

[mcd2745]

Does anyone know what rental companies, if any, have their locations in Cape Canaveral open? From everything I have researched, they all closed those locations last year - at least temporarily - and have not reopened them yet.

We are flying into Tampa on 8/5, visiting family for a few days before heading over for the 8/9 sailing. We have had a rental booked for a long time now, but could only return to MCO. There were no options to return at Cape Canaveral...which we have done several times in the past.

 

[orum]

Does anyone know what rental companies, if any, have their locations in Cape Canaveral open? From everything I have researched, they all closed those locations last year - at least temporarily - and have not reopened them yet.

We are flying into Tampa on 8/5, visiting family for a few days before heading over for the 8/9 sailing. We have had a rental booked for a long time now, but could only return to MCO. There were no options to return at Cape Canaveral...which we have done several times in the past.

Did you try Avis?

 

[n2mm]

Yes, I was checking my favorite companies, but they are closed. I’m guessing they will reopen eventually, but hard to make a reservation right now.

 

[esta1701]

Right now I have reservations at Budget and Alamo for before and after our 8/9 cruise. They both are taking reservations.

 

[Cheburashka]

Does anyone know what rental companies, if any, have their locations in Cape Canaveral open? From everything I have researched, they all closed those locations last year - at least temporarily - and have not reopened them yet.

We are flying into Tampa on 8/5, visiting family for a few days before heading over for the 8/9 sailing. We have had a rental booked for a long time now, but could only return to MCO. There were no options to return at Cape Canaveral...which we have done several times in the past.

Yes, I was checking my favorite companies, but they are closed. I’m guessing they will reopen eventually, but hard to make a reservation right now.

I just went to the Costco Travel site and did a rental car search from Tampa Airport to Port Canaveral for 8/5 - 8/9. Both Budget and Avis are open. Keep in mind that the port car rental companies open at 8am, so if you're trying to return to Port Canaveral before then, they'll be listed as closed.

 

[mcd2745]

Thanks...it does appear that Avis and Budget (they are the same company) have reopened. Unfortunately, the prices are ridiculously higher than my current reservation (Dollar) being returned to MCO. So we have to make a convenience vs economics decision.

 

[RedHead0186]

Does anyone know what rental companies, if any, have their locations in Cape Canaveral open? From everything I have researched, they all closed those locations last year - at least temporarily - and have not reopened them yet.

We are flying into Tampa on 8/5, visiting family for a few days before heading over for the 8/9 sailing. We have had a rental booked for a long time now, but could only return to MCO. There were no options to return at Cape Canaveral...which we have done several times in the past.

It looks like Enterprise/National is closed until December of this year, at least based on the search I just tried to do. As cruises resume they might change that, though. Those are the companies I usually use.

 

[orum]

The other thing I noticed is that Avis looks to only be open until 2pm on Sat and Sun. I wonder if they will change that with the changes in port arrival times.

 

[Weedy]

Thanks...it does appear that Avis and Budget (they are the same company) have reopened. Unfortunately, the prices are ridiculously higher than my current reservation (Dollar) being returned to MCO. So we have to make a convenience vs economics decision.

It’s about an hour drive from MCO to the Port.
How are you planning on getting to the Port after you drop the car off? And back to the airport after your cruise?
Look into the cost difference of transportation to the Port vs changing to a car rental company in Port Canaveral.
You may want to look into just parking the rental car at the Port. Parking is $90 for a 4 day cruise (pre covid)
Parking is so easy, just Disney cruises park there. There is a walkway connecting the parking garage to the terminal. When your cruise is over your car is right there no waiting for a bus (this may be much harder with covid restrictions)

 

[Cheburashka]

You may want to look into just parking the rental car at the Port. Parking is $90 for a 4 day cruise (pre covid)
Parking is so easy, just Disney cruises park there. There is a walkway connecting the parking garage to the terminal. When your cruise is over your car is right there no waiting for a bus (this may be much harder with covid restrictions)

The problem with that is that the rental car price skyrockets when you add four days onto it. Rental car prices are high right now.

 

[Lilsia]

The problem with that is that the rental car price skyrockets when you add four days onto it. Rental car prices are high right now.

Might be cheaper to take a limo from the airport to the port instead of renting a car.

 

[RedHead0186]

The problem with that is that the rental car price skyrockets when you add four days onto it. Rental car prices are high right now.

Agreed. That's a lot of money to pay for days that the car won't be driven (and also paying for parking on top of that). When prices were more reasonable (including weekly rates) that was more do-able, but I'd personally have a hard time paying all that money for the car just to sit there.

 

[Weedy]

Agreed. That's a lot of money to pay for days that the car won't be driven (and also paying for parking on top of that). When prices were more reasonable (including weekly rates) that was more do-able, but I'd personally have a hard time paying all that money for the car just to sit there.

My point was to compare the cost of:
Returning the car at MCO and then paying Transportation to and from MCO to the Port
Changing car companies
Keeping the car and parking at the Port
It’s all a numbers game

 

[Cheburashka]

Might be cheaper to take a limo from the airport to the port instead of renting a car.

This poster is spending multiple days doing other things in Florida before the cruise, so they'll already have the rental car. Makes no economic or practical sense to drop that off a few hours early at MCO & then get a limo to the port, when they could have simply dropped off the rental car at the port, instead.

 

[Lilsia]

This poster is spending multiple days doing other things in Florida before the cruise, so they'll already have the rental car. Makes no economic or practical sense to drop that off a few hours early at MCO & then get a limo to the port.

It depends. A lot of rental places charge an arm and a leg to drop off at another location. This is definitely something that they should price out.

 

[Cheburashka]

It depends. A lot of rental places charge an arm and a leg to drop off at another location. This is definitely something that they should price out.

Price it out, sure, but it's unlikely to make-up the cost of a limo (or even come close). I've priced out one-ways between Tampa to Port Canaveral for an upcoming trip and they were surprisingly reasonable. Keeping the car throughout the cruise to do a round trip is what would be much more expensive.

 

[mcd2745]

I actually have 2 reservations, both picking up at TPA on 8/5 and dropping off at MCO - one on 8/9 and the other on 8/13. We don't like occupying two reservations, especially knowing the state of rental car availabilityand pricing these days. But the uncertainty around whether or not the 8/9 cruise would sail or not necessitated that.

The one dropping off 8/13 is over $700. The one dropping off 8/9 is $450. A new reservation dropping off at Cape Canaveral on 8/9 is $750.

Keeping the reservation dropping off at MCO on 8/13 and parking it at the port is actually looking like the best option (even though I agree, normally the idea of parking a rental and paying the parking fee plus the additional days on the rental for it to sit there would make no sense...but these are nonsensical times). Keeping the one returning to MCO 8/9 may end up a little cheaper ($50 - $100) but involves a lot more logistically, and wastes more time with getting additional transportation to/from Canaveral and MCO. The new reservation returning near the port ends up the most expensive and also a bit of a hassle logistically.

Those who have parked at the port ($90 for a 4-nt cruise)...do you book that through DCL? I'm not finding that anywhete.anywhere. can a spot be reserved?

 

[RedHead0186]

We don't like occupying two reservations, especially knowing the state of rental car availability and pricing these days. But the uncertainty around whether or not the 8/9 cruise would sail or not necessitated that.

I've had to do that as well in a couple instances. I don't like doing it either, but when I am not 100% sure what my plans will be I've grabbed a reservation when it was available and a reasonable price. With the way things have been going there's no guarantee that a reservation would be available later on so if something was available I grabbed it, knowing I could cancel later. And the moment my plans solidified I immediately cancel any reservations I don't need to open up availability.