I know there have been numerous threads on car and truck rental on Bonaire in the past. I just wanted to share some observations and hope someone here has further recommendations. I have several credit cards and trip coverage that offers rental car insurance waivers but all exclude trucks. I've been shopping around for an SUV that doesn't specifically prohibit dive gear in the car so that I can use the insurance I already have. I do need an automatic transmission vehicle which limits some options. Avis and Budget both state there will be a minimum $350 charge if they find evidence of diving in the SUV. Hertz wont give a yes/no answer and just reply that I need a truck. I found 2 independent rental companies that offer dive equipped/allowed SUV's in order models, but both these companies require their insurance coverage. Having to pay for the insurance defeats the purpose of renting the SUV.
Does anyone here have first hand experience renting an SUV for diving or know how strict Hertz (or the others) might be about sand and salt? A tarp and some plastic bins might reduce the evidence, but after 2 weeks of diving I think its impossible to expect something not to get a little wet.
2 weeks of the $10/day CDW on the car is a week's diving on an unlimited air package, so I hate to resign to paying for the insurance. I'm considering opening a new Amex card so that I can get the premium rental coverage others have mentioned here and then renting a truck. Does that seem like a better option to anyone besides myself? Any recommendations for a reliable rental company with automatics that accepts Amex? (Poppy currently only has trucks with manual transmissions)
Does anyone here have first hand experience renting an SUV for diving or know how strict Hertz (or the others) might be about sand and salt? A tarp and some plastic bins might reduce the evidence, but after 2 weeks of diving I think its impossible to expect something not to get a little wet.
2 weeks of the $10/day CDW on the car is a week's diving on an unlimited air package, so I hate to resign to paying for the insurance. I'm considering opening a new Amex card so that I can get the premium rental coverage others have mentioned here and then renting a truck. Does that seem like a better option to anyone besides myself? Any recommendations for a reliable rental company with automatics that accepts Amex? (Poppy currently only has trucks with manual transmissions)