Prins Car Rental Curaçao: Prices vs Local Alternatives
Updated November 2026
Prins Car Rental Curaçao is a locally owned rental company with its office a short drive from Curaçao International Airport (CUR), and its website is more open than most. Rates are published per season, all-risk cover is part of every rental, and you can collect the car around the clock through a self-service portal. Before you book, two questions still deserve a few minutes: what a week with Prins really costs once tax and fees are added, and how that compares with the other local companies at the airport. We read the official Prins site on November 9, 2026 and ran live searches on TropicDrive for the same dates.
Compare Prins with local rates for your dates
Prins Car Rental Curaçao at a glance
Everything in this section comes from prinscarrental.com, checked on November 9, 2026. Prins serves Curaçao and Bonaire and calls itself locally owned. You can book online for rentals of three days or more. One or two days, and cruise passengers in port for the day, are handled by WhatsApp between 48 and 24 hours before pickup.
Where is Prins Car Rental in Curaçao?
Prins Car Rental is at Franklin D. Rooseveltweg 362 in Willemstad, which Prins describes as about a two minute drive from Curaçao airport. There is no desk inside the terminal. After landing you send a WhatsApp message and a shuttle collects you for a one-off fee of $25. Picking the car up at the office yourself is free.
The office is staffed every day from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Outside those hours, pickup and return run through a self-service procedure at no extra cost. Prins sends a check-in link 48 hours before you arrive and tracks your flight on the day you land, so a delay does not cost you the car. Prins also collects you free of charge from hotels in the main tourist areas on rentals of three days or more. To see how other companies handle arrivals at CUR, read our guide to Curaçao airport car rental.
What is included in a Prins rental car in Curaçao?
Every Prins rental includes all-risk cover: a collision damage waiver and theft protection with a $500 own risk, plus third party liability up to $85,714. Unlimited mileage, 24/7 road service and free hotel pickup are included as well. Two options you can add while booking lower the own risk, to $350 or to zero.
That is a solid package, and Prins deserves credit for spelling it out. Read the exceptions too. The official FAQ names speeding, drinking and driving, losing the keys or getting them wet, and leaving the scene of an accident as cases the cover does not protect. Prins does not rent GPS units and suggests you download an offline map before you fly.
Prins Car Rental Curaçao prices and conditions
Prins lists its daily rates on its fleet and rates page. High season runs from December 16 to April 30 and from July 1 to August 31. Low season covers May, June and September 1 to December 15. In high season the rate is the same for any rental of three days or more. In low season the daily rate drops as the rental gets longer.
All Prins rates exclude 9% sales tax plus administrative and processing fees. The fee for a regular rental is not shown on the rates page, so ask Prins for the final total before you compare. If you take the airport shuttle, add $25 once.
Does Prins Car Rental Curaçao require a credit card?
Yes. The Prins FAQ says you need a credit card in the driver's name at pickup, and Prins holds a refundable $500 security deposit on it. Visa and Mastercard are accepted, American Express on request. Prepaid credit cards are not accepted, and Prins does not take euros.
Prins says no down payment is needed when you book, and you pay when you collect the car. On age, the FAQ asks for 23 or older with a licence held for at least three years, and asks younger drivers to contact Prins first. The general terms page mentions 21, so if you are under 23, get the answer in writing before you book. Your own national driving licence is enough.
Prins Curaçao vs local rentals on TropicDrive
To put the Prins rates next to the local market, we searched TropicDrive on November 9, 2026 for two seven-day rentals with pickup and return at Curaçao airport at 10:00 AM. January 10 to 17, 2027 falls in Prins high season. May 10 to 17, 2027 falls in its low season. The January search showed 16 local companies with 117 different cars. The May search showed 17 companies and 140 cars. The table pairs each Prins class with the closest local category.
| Car type | Prins, January | Local, January 10 to 17 | Prins, May | Local, May 10 to 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small car / Economy | $45 | from $48 | $39.90 | from $37 |
| Compact | $56 | from $55 | $50.35 | from $43 |
| Midsize / Intermediate | $62 | from $55 | $56.05 | from $49 |
| Small SUV / Compact SUV | $67 | from $85 | $60.80 | from $66 |
| 7 seater / Mini van | $82 | from $99 | $75.05 | from $80 |
All prices are per day. Prins rates come from its rates page for a seven-day rental and exclude 9% sales tax and fees. Local rates on TropicDrive include taxes and a collision damage waiver.
Read honestly, the picture is mixed. With 9% tax added, the Prins small car comes to about $49 a day in January, level with the cheapest local economy car, and that is still before the admin fees. For economy, compact and midsize cars, the cheapest local offer matched or beat Prins in both weeks. For seven seaters and small SUVs, Prins came out lower in January. In May, once you add the 9% tax, the cheapest local offers were level with Prins or lower. The cheaper side depends on the car and the week, which is the best reason to check both.
The conditions differ more than the rates. Here they are side by side, on points we could confirm.
| Prins Car Rental, booked direct | Local rentals on TropicDrive | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you get the car | Office in Willemstad, airport shuttle $25, free hotel pickup in main tourist areas | Handover at CUR, free delivery shown on many listings |
| Collision cover | All-risk CDW and theft protection, $500 own risk | CDW on every car we opened, deductible $350 to $1,000 |
| Deposit | $500 held on a credit card | $0 to $1,000 on the cars we opened, shown before you book |
| Credit card | Required, prepaid cards not accepted | Not needed on about 8 in 10 listings |
| Minimum age | 23 with three years of driving (FAQ) | From 18 on some cars |
| Payment | Nothing upfront, pay at pickup | Small part online through Stripe, rest at pickup |
| Cancellation | Check with Prins | Free up to 48 hours before arrival |
| Choice | One fleet, eight car classes | 16 to 17 local companies in one search |
Is Prins on TropicDrive?
No. When we checked on November 9, 2026, Prins Car Rental did not appear among the local companies in TropicDrive's results at Curaçao airport for January 10 to 17 or May 10 to 17, 2027. To rent from Prins, book on prinscarrental.com. Use TropicDrive to see what other local companies charge for the same dates.
TropicDrive does not own cars. It shows screened local Curaçao companies in one search, each checked for business registration, insurance and fleet condition, with live availability and the deposit, card rule and deductible on every listing. You pay a small part online, settle the rest at pickup and cancel free up to 48 hours before arrival. If the car is not what you booked, you get your money back. About 1 in 8 January listings and 1 in 5 May listings needed no deposit at all. Our overview of car rental companies in Curaçao explains how we screen them, and we used the same honest approach in D&D Car Rentals Curaçao compared.
Michael R., who booked a local car through TropicDrive, found the booking process easy and the customer service great, and said he would use TropicDrive again.
When Prins is the right choice
Book Prins direct if most of these fit you:
- You want all-risk cover in the base rate and a price list you can read before you ask.
- You travel in high season and need a seven seater or a small SUV, where Prins was lower in our January test.
- You land late or fly out early and like a self-service pickup that runs around the clock.
- You have a credit card and do not mind a $500 hold.
If you have no credit card, are under 23, want free cancellation on fixed terms or simply want several fleets on one screen, the local listings on TropicDrive give you more room.
How to compare a Prins quote with local rates in 2 minutes
Two browser tabs and the calculator on your phone are enough.
- On prinscarrental.com, open the rates page and find your car class and season. Multiply the daily rate by your number of days, add 9% sales tax and the $25 shuttle if you need it. Ask Prins on WhatsApp for the admin and processing fee.
- Write down the deposit, the own risk and the cancellation terms Prins gives you.
- On TropicDrive, compare local car rental in Curaçao for the same dates at the airport and filter on the same car type.
- Open the rental conditions on two or three cars and compare the full total, deposit, deductible and card rule with your Prins notes.
Then book whichever total and terms suit your trip.
5 things to check before you book Prins car hire in Curaçao
- The final total. Prins rates exclude 9% sales tax and admin fees, while TropicDrive prices include taxes. Compare totals only.
- How you reach the car. The airport shuttle costs $25. Free pickup from hotels in the main tourist areas starts at three days, and from more remote areas at seven days.
- Your card. Prins needs a credit card in the driver's name for a $500 hold. Without one, see our guide to renting without a credit card in Curaçao or the list of no-deposit rentals in Curaçao.
- Age and licence. Prins asks for 23 and three years of driving in its FAQ. Rules differ by company, as our guide to the minimum age to rent a car in Curaçao shows.
- What the cover leaves out. Our explainer on CDW insurance for a Curaçao rental shows what to look for.
Jennifer L. said the local partner she found through TropicDrive was helpful and gave her good tips for exploring Curaçao.
Ready to see the numbers for your own trip? Check local rates at Curaçao airport for your dates and put them next to your Prins quote.
Frequently asked questions
Does Prins Car Rental Curaçao have a desk at the airport?
No. Prins has no desk inside the terminal. Its office is at Franklin D. Rooseveltweg 362 in Willemstad, about two minutes by car from CUR according to Prins. After landing you send a WhatsApp message and a shuttle picks you up for a one-off $25.
How much does Prins Car Rental Curaçao cost per day?
On November 9, 2026, the Prins rates page listed a Small Car at $45 per day in high season and $39.90 per day for a one-week rental in low season. Rates exclude 9% sales tax and administrative and processing fees, so ask Prins for the final total.
Is insurance included with a Prins rental car in Curaçao?
Yes. Prins includes a collision damage waiver and theft protection with a $500 own risk, plus third party liability. Options you can add while booking lower the own risk to $350 or to zero. Speeding, drinking and driving, lost or wet keys and leaving an accident scene are excluded.
What is the minimum age to rent from Prins Curaçao?
The Prins FAQ sets the minimum age at 23, with a driving licence held for at least three years. Younger drivers are asked to contact Prins by email or WhatsApp before booking. On TropicDrive, some local listings at Curaçao airport accept drivers from age 18.
Can I rent from Prins for one or two days?
Yes, but not online. Online bookings at Prins start at three days. For one or two days, or a cruise stop, send a WhatsApp message between 48 and 24 hours before pickup. Prins lists one-day rates from $100 per 24 hours for a Small Car, before tax and fees.
Can I rent a car in Curaçao without a credit card?
Yes, with many local companies. In our TropicDrive searches for January and May 2027, about 8 in 10 local listings at Curaçao airport did not need a credit card at pickup. Prins does require one, in the driver's name, for its $500 security deposit.
