Late returns
$16 a day
Both give a 30-minute grace period, then extra hour or day charges, plus a late-return fee of $16 a day for up to five days.
Source: dollar.com/AboutUs/GeneralPolicies.aspx · checked Oct 21, 2026
Rental companies rated for cruisers · Dollar & Thrifty
Dollar & Thrifty, airport counters only
Dollar and Thrifty are Hertz Corporation brands, and for cruisers they behave like one brand, not two — airport counters, with no near-port office we could confirm at any of 23 ports. Their sites blocked most of our location checks, so several city addresses stay unconfirmed. The rule that sets them apart is Mexico — both allow it with insurance bought at select locations.
Partner link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and it doesn't change the scores. How Discover Cars works.
Policies checked October 21, 202623 cruise portsIndependent of the booking partner
4.3OUT OF 10
4.1OUT OF 10
Dollar 4.3 and Thrifty 4.1 out of 10, ninth and tenth by our method. Workable if you fly in and drive to the port yourself — weak on port access, satisfaction and published fees.
0ports with a confirmed Dollar or Thrifty office near the terminal
30 minreturn grace before late charges start
$16a day late-return fee, for up to 5 days
663 / 666J.D. Power 2026, Dollar / Thrifty (707 average)
- ✓IndependentDiscover Cars isn’t rated and doesn’t see the scores
- ✓SourcedEvery rule card links to the company’s own page, with the date we read it
- ✓No paid placementNo company pays for its position, and price isn’t an input
- ✓Checked October 21, 2026Port findings carry their own dates from our port guides
Who it suits
Who should still look at Dollar or Thrifty
Book Dollar & Thrifty if
- You're flying in and driving from the airport to the ship yourself — that's where Dollar (14 ports on our board) and Thrifty (12) actually have counters.
- You're sailing from San Diego or Los Angeles and want a side trip into Mexico, which both brands allow with Mexico Insurance good up to 250 miles south of the border.
- You'll share the driving with a spouse or partner who's 25 or older and you hold Thrifty Blue Chip, whose terms let them drive free.
- You want to skip the counter at Dollar, where Express Rewards is free and members head straight to the lot.
Look elsewhere if
- You want to pick up near the terminal — we couldn't confirm a single Dollar or Thrifty city office at any of our 23 ports.
- Your ship leaves San Juan (neither brand), Seattle or Québec City (no Dollar), or Miami, Philadelphia, Honolulu or Montréal (no Thrifty).
- You need the toll fee pinned down in advance — Dollar's own terms give two different numbers.
- You're cutting the return close, since past 30 minutes you pay extra time plus $16 a day.
Price it at your port
Where are you sailing from?
Pick the port and we'll show what Dollar & Thrifty 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 Dollar & Thrifty's access there.
On Discover Cars
Compare Dollar & Thrifty rates for your dates
Every company at the airport, side by side, with the fees broken out before you pay.
Compare rental prices- Free cancellation up to 48 hours before pickup
- Many companies side by side, fees shown before you pay
- The deposit stays with the rental company, not the site
Partner link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn't change the scores. Our review.
Also strong at this port
Port by port
Where Dollar and Thrifty meet cruisers
On our board Dollar is airport-only at 14 ports and Thrifty at 12. Each has 6 more marked unconfirmed — both sites blocked our checks, or only third-party listings name them. Dollar shows no presence at 3 ports and Thrifty at 5.
The unconfirmed addresses are the near-port ones you'd want: 6799 N Atlantic Ave at Port Canaveral (a third-party listing calls it closed), 2400 Miami Rd near Port Everglades, and a Marriott Water Street counter in Tampa. In Vancouver, only Kayak lists either brand — at Hertz's 413 Seymour St desk.
PortMiami names Dollar as having a shuttle, with fees that may apply — and Dollar's site wouldn't let us confirm it. Treat every one of these as a phone call to make, not a plan to build on.
Tap a port for the details, the source and that port's rental guide.
The fine print that bites on a cruise trip
Dollar and Thrifty fine print for a cruise trip
Dollar and Thrifty publish near-identical General Policies pages, many sections marked revised and effective March 1, 2019, and the cards say where they differ. Several fees — the one-way drop fee and the extra-driver charge among them — aren't published at all, so ask for them in writing when you book.
Mexico
Allowed with insurance
Both brands let US rentals into Mexico only with Mexico Insurance, sold at select locations and good up to 250 miles south of the border. Ask your pickup counter whether it sells the policy before you plan an Ensenada day.
Source: dollar.com/AboutUs/GeneralPolicies.aspx · checked Oct 21, 2026
Canada
Ask the location
Canadian residents can't drive a US-owned Dollar or Thrifty car into Canada. For everyone else, Dollar says to check local policy, so a Seattle or Boston renter heading north needs a yes from that counter.
Source: dollar.com/AboutUs/GeneralPolicies.aspx · checked Oct 21, 2026
Tolls (PlatePass)
$14.99 a day in Florida
Neither brand prints PlatePass prices, which vary by state — Florida's SunPass page lists $14.99 a day. Dollar's own terms contradict themselves on the fee if you decline it, citing $9.99 per usage day in one place and $15 per toll, capped at $90, in another.
Source: dollar.com/AboutUs/GeneralPolicies.aspx · checked Oct 21, 2026
Extra drivers
Fee not published
Dollar charges extra drivers, spouses included, unless you're a Dollar Express Rewards member. Thrifty charges too, but its Blue Chip terms let a spouse or domestic partner 25 or older drive free without registering.
Source: thrifty.com/BlueChip/TermsAndConditionsPopUp.aspx?key=Term · checked Oct 21, 2026
One-way rentals
Drop fee applies
Both say a one-way drop fee will apply within the US, subject to location and availability, and neither publishes the amount. Price the exact route before you plan to end at a different port.
Source: thrifty.com/AboutUs/content/GeneralPolicies.aspx · checked Oct 21, 2026
Debit cards
$500 hold at Thrifty
At airports, both want a return travel ticket, two IDs and a Compact-to-Fullsize car, and may run a credit check. Thrifty holds $500 on a debit card on top of charges; Dollar's pages give both $500 and up to $350 or 15% of the estimate.
Source: thrifty.com/AboutUs/content/GeneralPolicies.aspx · checked Oct 21, 2026
Cancelling a prepaid rate
$100–$200
Prepaid bookings at both cancel free within 24 hours of booking, then cost $100 more than 24 hours before pickup and $200 inside 24 hours. Neither states its pay-later cancellation terms.
Source: thrifty.com/travelcenter/traveltools/prepayandsave.aspx · checked Oct 21, 2026
Before you compare base rates
What Dollar & Thrifty adds on top of the daily rate
Comparison sites show the base rate. These are the add-ons Dollar & Thrifty 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.
- Toll program (Florida figure)PlatePass in Florida: $14.99 a day per the state SunPass page; Dollar’s own toll page contradicts itself on the fee$14.99 per toll day
- Extra driverfee not published; spouses included unless you’re a Dollar Express memberNot published
- Young-driver feevaries by location, charged once per rentalNot published
Published add-ons for this trip$0
Figures from dollar.com General Policies, 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
Why they rank ninth and tenth by our method
Port access scores low for both, 3.9 for Dollar and 3.5 for Thrifty, because airport-only and unconfirmed ports count for little and neither has a shuttle or near-port office we could confirm. Satisfaction drags harder — 2.7 for Dollar and 1.6 for Thrifty, from the bottom two J.D. Power scores of 2026.
The two are close. Thrifty edges Dollar on family (6.5 to 6.0) for the Blue Chip spouse rule, and on fees (4.5 to 4.0) since Dollar's toll page contradicts itself. Dollar wins the gap back on port access and on satisfaction, where its ACSI score lifts the average.
Dollar
- Across the 23 cruise ports we've researched, Dollar has a pier shuttle at 0, an office near the terminal at 0, airport counters only at 14, and a written statement that it offers no port pickup or shuttle at 0; 6 are unconfirmed and 3 show no presence. Shuttles score 10, near-port offices 6, airport-only or unconfirmed 3, a no-shuttle statement 1 and no presence 0; the average is scaled by 1.5 and capped at 10.
- J.D. Power's 2026 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study scored Dollar 663 out of 1,000 (study average 707); the American Customer Satisfaction Index's 2026 travel study scored it 71 out of 100 (industry 76). We convert each to a 0–10 scale and average what's available.
- A drop fee applies and isn't published; Canada rules for US-owned cars are left to the location.
- Extra drivers, spouses included, pay a fee unless you're a Dollar Express member.
- Airport counters only; 30-minute grace, then a $16-a-day late fee on top of the extra time.
- PlatePass, listed at $14.99 a day in Florida, and Dollar's own toll page contradicts itself on the fee.
Weighted Seabound cruiser score 4.3 / 10 · rank 9 of 10 · How we score
Thrifty
- Across the 23 cruise ports we've researched, Thrifty has a pier shuttle at 0, an office near the terminal at 0, airport counters only at 12, and a written statement that it offers no port pickup or shuttle at 0; 6 are unconfirmed and 5 show no presence. Shuttles score 10, near-port offices 6, airport-only or unconfirmed 3, a no-shuttle statement 1 and no presence 0; the average is scaled by 1.5 and capped at 10.
- J.D. Power's 2026 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study scored Thrifty 666 out of 1,000 (study average 707); the ACSI doesn't score it separately. We convert each to a 0–10 scale and average what's available.
- A drop fee applies and isn't published; Canada rules for US-owned cars are left to the location.
- Extra drivers pay a fee, but a Blue Chip member's spouse or partner 25+ drives free.
- Airport counters only; 30-minute grace, then a $16-a-day late fee on top of the extra time.
- PlatePass, listed at $14.99 a day in Florida; prepaid cancellations cost $100–$200.
Weighted Seabound cruiser score 4.1 / 10 · rank 10 of 10 · How we score
What renters say
Dollar and Thrifty in the 2026 surveys
Thirteen brands made J.D. Power's 2026 study (released Oct 7, 2026; figures as reported by TravelPulse and Auto Rental News). Thrifty scored 666 and Dollar 663 out of 1,000, the last two places, against a 707 average. The ACSI's April 2026 travel study scored Dollar 71, five points under the industry's 76, and didn't rate Thrifty separately.
J.D. Power surveys airport renters, and Dollar and Thrifty are airport brands, so the fit is closer than usual. Dollar lands near the bottom in both studies, so take that as settled and spend your checking time on the exact airport you'll use — recent reviews of that counter, not the brand overall.
J.D. Power 2026
ACSI 2026
Side by side
Dollar and Thrifty against Hertz and Payless
Hertz owns both brands and shares PlatePass with them, so it shows what paying for the parent gets you — desks near 12 ports and a published under-25 fee. Payless, eighth by our method, sits just above them in our ranking and has pier shuttles at Port Everglades and PortMiami.
| Dollar | Thrifty | Hertz | Payless | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seabound cruiser score | 4.3 | 4.1 | 6.2 | 4.5 |
| Pier shuttles (of 23 ports) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Near-port offices | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| J.D. Power 2026 | 663 | 666 | 711 | 699 |
| Toll program | PlatePass; FL $14.99/day (SunPass site) | PlatePass; FL $14.99/day; own tag OK | PlatePass; FL $14.99/day (SunPass site) | e-Toll $7.95/toll day, $39.75 cap |
| Extra driver | Fee, spouse too; free for Express | Fee; Blue Chip spouse 25+ free | Daily fee; spouse free top Gold tiers | $13/day; spouse free |
| Under-25 drivers | 20+ most states; fee varies | 20+ most states; fee varies | 20+ most states; $19/day under 25 | 25 standard; 21–24 pay $25/day |
| One-way rentals | Drop fee applies; amount unpublished | Drop fee applies; amount unpublished | Priced case by case; no fee published | Allowed; drop fee not published |
| Canada / Mexico | Canada: ask location · Mexico w/ insurance | Canada: ask location · Mexico w/ insurance | Canada yes · Mexico no | Neither without written approval |
| Loyalty / counter skip | Dollar Express Rewards (free) | Blue Chip Rewards; counter skip unconfirmed | Gold Plus Rewards (free) | Perks Club (free); no skip found |
| Cancelling | Prepaid: $100–$200; pay-later unstated | Prepaid: $100–$200; pay-later unstated | Pay Now: $100–$200 fee | Pay Now: $50 fee if 48h+ out |
Our take
Our take on Dollar and Thrifty
These two only work for cruisers who were going to fly in and drive from the airport anyway. In that case the counter is where you expected it, and the price at your airport may be all that matters.
Two rules deserve real attention. The $16-a-day late fee stacks on extra-day charges, and the decline fee for tolls is unclear in Dollar's own terms, so ask the counter which one applies before you drive onto a toll road.
Check the airport counter's hours for your return day, and price Hertz and Payless at the same airport before you lock in either brand.
Price Dollar & Thrifty against everyone else
Discover Cars shows Dollar & Thrifty 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
How the rest rate for cruisers
Avis7.9 / 10 · #1Free pier shuttles at 3 Florida ports and desks near 15 more; J.D. Power is its weak spot.
Enterprise7.3 / 10 · #22nd of 10 at 7.3: branches near 15 of 23 ports and the top J.D. Power 2026 score, but many close Sundays.
Budget6.9 / 10 · #3Same 3 Florida pier shuttles as Avis, but a 675 J.D. Power score and no after-hours cruise returns.
National6.8 / 10 · #44th of 10 at 6.8: Emerald Club family drivers go free, but it's airport-only at 15 of 23 ports.
Alamo6.7 / 10 · #55th of 10 at 6.7: tied ACSI's top 2026 score and offers Skip the Counter, but airport-only at 16 ports.
Hertz6.2 / 10 · #6Desks near 12 ports and the closest counters in Canada, but no pier shuttle and many Sunday closures.
Sixt5.6 / 10 · #7Downtown desks near 10 ports, many in hotels, no shuttles; Canada round trips only, and spouses pay in Florida.
Payless4.5 / 10 · #8Pier shuttles at Port Everglades and PortMiami only; no presence at 11 ports, no Canada without approval.
Questions
Dollar & Thrifty for cruisers: FAQ
Are Dollar and Thrifty the same company as Hertz?
Yes. Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty are all Hertz Corporation brands, and they share the PlatePass toll product. Their policies aren't identical: Thrifty Blue Chip lets a spouse 25 or older drive free, while Dollar charges spouses unless you're an Express Rewards member.
Does Dollar run a shuttle at PortMiami?
PortMiami names Dollar as having a shuttle and says fees may apply. Dollar's own site blocked every location check we ran, so we couldn't confirm it. Call the Miami location before you plan around it.
Can I drive a Dollar or Thrifty rental from San Diego into Mexico?
Only with Mexico Insurance, which both brands sell at select locations and which covers travel up to 250 miles south of the border. Without it the car can't cross. Ask your pickup counter whether it sells the policy before you book.
What if the ship is late and I return the car late?
You get 30 minutes. After that, both brands may add extra hour or day charges, plus a $16-a-day late-return fee for up to five days. Build a cushion into the return time you book.
Is there a fee for returning a Dollar car early?
Yes, on a car that isn't prepaid. Dollar's General Policies list a $25 early-return fee if you bring it back more than 24 hours early. We didn't find the same line on Thrifty's pages.
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