Rental companies rated for cruisers · Avis
By our count, Avis has a desk within reach of more of the 23 cruise ports we checked than any other company — free pier shuttles at Port Canaveral, Port Everglades and PortMiami, plus an office near the terminal at 15 of the other 20 ports. Those shuttles keep short hours, though — Miami's last run is 1:30 PM — so the clock matters more than the logo.
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Tops our cruiser score at 7.9 out of 10, carried by pier shuttles and near-port desks. Satisfaction is the soft spot — 696 on J.D. Power's 2026 study, under the 707 average.
Who it suits
Price it at your port
Pick the port and we'll show what Avis offers there, the two strongest alternatives by our score, and a link that opens Discover Cars at the right airport.
Pick a port to see Avis's access there.
On Discover Cars
Every company at the airport, side by side, with the fees broken out before you pay.
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Also strong at this port
Port by port
In Florida you can skip the taxi. Avis runs cruise-passenger-only shuttles from 6650 N Atlantic Ave at Port Canaveral, from the shared 2520 Miami Rd office at Port Everglades, and from its downtown office on SE 2nd St for PortMiami (book code Q8M). Weekends are short — Canaveral runs 8 to 3 on Saturday and Sunday, Port Everglades closes at 2 PM on Sundays, and Miami's last pier shuttle leaves at 1:30 PM.
Outside Florida, Avis is usually a short cab ride from the terminal, not a shuttle. The 2 Seaport Lane desk is about 0.8 miles from Flynn Cruiseport in Boston, New Orleans has one in the Hilton Riverside lobby 0.4 miles from Julia Street, and San Diego's Kettner Blvd office is 0.8 miles from B Street.
Five ports are airport-only for Avis, Galveston and Jacksonville among them. Tap a port below for the details.
Tap a port for the details, the source and that port's rental guide.
The fine print that bites on a cruise trip
Most rental fine print never touches a cruise. These cards do — tolls on the drive to the port, who else can drive, one-way costs, and returns when the desk is shut.
Each comes from Avis's own pages, checked Oct 21, 2026; read the terms on your booking before you pay.
$6.95 for each day you use a toll, plus the tolls, capped at $34.95 a rental as of October 2026. Florida enrolls you automatically at your first toll; Avis says your own compatible transponder works instead.
Source: avis.com/en/products-and-services/services/avis-e-toll · checked Oct 21, 2026
That's the rate in most states; New York charges $3 a day and Nevada varies. A spouse or life partner drives free, and in California so do a parent, sibling or child.
Source: avis.com/en/help/usa-faqs/additional-driver · checked Oct 21, 2026
Avis says most locations charge no drop-off fee, though it varies by location and season. Price your exact route before you count on free.
Source: avis.com/en/products-and-services/services/one-way-car-ren · checked Oct 21, 2026
Many US locations allow Canada; tell the agent and you'll get a free non-resident insurance card. One-ways into Canada run only from select border-area locations, and Mexico is for corporate accounts at select border-state locations, so Ensenada is out for most leisure renters.
Source: avis.com/en/help/usa-faqs/driving-to-mexico-canada · checked Oct 21, 2026
Many locations, not all, take after-hours drop-offs. You stay responsible for the car until Avis checks it in the next business day.
Source: avis.com/en/locations/us/fl/fort-lauderdale/fll/_jcr_conte · checked Oct 21, 2026
Avis's Fort Lauderdale terms give you 29 minutes — past 30 you pay three-quarters of a day, and past 90 minutes a full day.
Source: avis.com/en/locations/us/fl/fort-lauderdale/fll/_jcr_conte · checked Oct 21, 2026
Pay at Counter bookings cancel free, but a $75 no-show fee applies if you don't cancel 24 hours ahead. Pay Now costs $50 to cancel more than 24 hours out and $150 inside 24 hours (October 2026).
Source: avis.com/en/customer-service/faqs/usa/reservations · checked Oct 21, 2026
Members skip the counter at most airport locations, and the QuickPass app handles pick-up and exit. Join before a fly-in day.
Source: avis.com/en/products-and-services/services/quickpass · checked Oct 21, 2026
Before you compare base rates
Comparison sites show the base rate. These are the add-ons Avis publishes, so you can see the real total before you tap through — anything it doesn't publish shows at checkout, and we say so rather than guess.
Figures from avis.com FAQs, read October 21, 2026; tolls themselves, taxes and airport fees come on top. See the sources.
Now compare the base rateHow the score adds up
Port access carries 30% of our score, and Avis earns 8.8 there — three pier shuttles and 15 near-terminal desks out of 23 ports. Every other criterion except satisfaction scores 7.5 or better.
Satisfaction is what holds it under 8, at 7.0. Avis ties for the top ACSI mark yet sits below average on J.D. Power — open any bar below to see why.
Weighted Seabound cruiser score 7.9 / 10 · rank 1 of 10 · How we score
What renters say
The American Customer Satisfaction Index's 2026 travel study, released Apr 21, 2026, scored Avis 79 out of 100 — tied with Alamo for the top mark and up 7% on the year. J.D. Power's 2026 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study, released Oct 7, 2026 and reported by TravelPulse and Auto Rental News, scored it 696 out of 1,000 — ninth of 13 brands, below the 707 average.
Neither survey asks about cruise ports. The two pull in opposite directions for Avis, top of the ACSI and ninth with J.D. Power, so decide which crowd you resemble — J.D. Power's airport renters, or everyone else — before you let either number move you.
Side by side
Enterprise ranks second by our method at 7.3 and posts the highest J.D. Power score, 739. Budget shares Avis's parent company and most of its fine print, and scores 6.9. Compare the rows that differ, not the logos.
| Avis | Enterprise | Budget | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seabound cruiser score | 7.9 | 7.3 | 6.9 |
| Pier shuttles (of 23 ports) | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Near-port offices | 15 | 15 | 13 |
| J.D. Power 2026 | 696 | 739 | 675 |
| Toll program | e-Toll $6.95/toll day, $34.95 cap | TollPass $4.95/toll day, $34.65 cap | e-Toll $6.95/toll day, $34.95 cap |
| Extra driver | $13/day most states; spouse free | $15/day; spouse/partner free | $13/day most states; spouse free |
| Under-25 drivers | 21+ (18 NY/MI); fee varies (MCO $27/day) | 21+ (18 MI/NY); about $25/day | 21+ (18 NY/MI); $27/day at most locations |
| One-way rentals | Most locations: no drop fee | Book ahead; drop charge varies | Book ahead; unbooked drop $45+ |
| Canada / Mexico | Canada yes · Mexico corporate only | Canada most cars · Mexico no | Canada yes · Mexico corporate only |
| Loyalty / counter skip | Avis Preferred (free) | Enterprise Plus (points) | Budget Fastbreak (free) |
| Cancelling | Pay Now: $50–$150 fee | Pay later free; prepaid $50–$100 | Prepaid: $50–$150 fee |
Our take
If you're sailing from one of Florida's three big ports, Avis turns the rental return into a shuttle ride to the pier — the core of its score.
Elsewhere it wins on reach and hours, not service. A desk open 7 to 7 in Boston, Seattle or San Francisco covers a Sunday disembarkation.
The weak point is the counter itself, which J.D. Power's airport renters rated below average in 2026. Join Avis Preferred and skip that line where you can.
Check your port's shuttle hours against your ship's schedule, then price Avis for your dates.
Discover Cars shows Avis next to the other companies at your airport for your dates, with the fees broken out before you pay.
Free cancellation up to 48 hours before pickup on Discover Cars · prices from many companies side by side · the deposit stays with the rental company. Partner link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Our Discover Cars review.
The other nine
Questions
Yes, at three Florida ports: Port Canaveral (6650 N Atlantic Ave), Port Everglades (2520 Miami Rd) and PortMiami (book code Q8M). They're free and for cruise passengers only. At the other 20 ports we checked, Avis has a nearby desk or an airport counter instead.
Avis's Miami cruise location lists runs every 20 to 30 minutes, with the last at 1:30 PM, as of our Sept 28, 2026 check. If you're running later, the MIA counter never closes.
Many US Avis locations allow Canada; tell the agent and ask for the free non-resident insurance card. A one-way that ends in Canada is offered only at select border-area locations, so confirm before you book. In Vancouver, Avis has a desk at 757 Hornby St and 24-hour drop-off at YVR.
Yes. A spouse or life partner drives free; other extra drivers cost $13 a day in most states as of October 2026. California also waives it for parents, siblings and children.
You're enrolled once you drive through a toll. It costs $6.95 for each day you use a toll, plus the tolls, capped at $34.95 a rental as of October 2026. Avis says you can use your own compatible transponder instead.
Tell us your ship and dates. A real advisor plans the flights, the night before and the ride to the terminal, at no extra cost.
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