My husband and I were on the 448 in Roomette 5 on 10/3 - We were the only sleeper passengers getting on in CLE. Our SA, Ray, was nice when we got on, and told us when breakfast was. He did have us wait in the Cafe for him to set up the room for a few minutes, but then we were on our way. I got such a good vibe I posted on here how good the staff was. I was wrong. We got to ALB, and I got off to watch them split the train. I hadn't seen the SA since we boarded at this point until he closed the door behind us. Another railfan and I heard final boarding, but the door was closed for the sleeper and the cafe, so we ran up the platform. Another attendant asked why we had to get on in Coach and we explained the door never reopened after it was closed behind us. He let us through the closed Cafe and asked, "Who is your attendant?" I said, "Ray." and he kept asking, "Who is that? I don't know who that is!" So that seemed odd. About 20 minutes later our SA showed up and told us to go to the cafe to get dinner. He said he had to make the beds up now. I thought that was strange considering we were 6 hours out from BOS and our sleep schedule was strange due to getting on in CLE at 5:50AM. We went to the Cafe and were the only people in there besides some staff on the other side. We ate and went back to the room. About an hour later, the SA comes in and tells us he HAS TO take the garbage out now and we can't use the garbage in the room anymore. Fine, I guess. At one point we went to use the bathroom and of course had to walk through the Coach car. There were 2 dogs and 3 cats running around. Just out on the isle. The bathrooms were so foul I started gagging and I'm not a delicate flower. It looked like no one was flushing. I confirmed it could flush and people were just being disgusting. We got to BOS about 30 minutes late, so it was not bad at least in that way.
On the way back we were on the 449 in Roomette 4 on 10/6 - Our SA this time, I can't remember his name really was almost forceful that we don't need to leave our rooms for anything. At first, I was thinking it was because he could get our meals for us and bring them back and was trying to be helpful. He started explaining when breakfast would be (it was 12:50PM) and I told him we get off in CLE. He seemed surprised. My husband and I went to the cafe to grab our lunch. Half of the cafe car had signs (stickers) on the wall saying For Crew Use Only. There were both attendants, two conductors, and the Cafe attendant sitting there laughing. I get to the window at the cafe car and look back and smile at the cafe attendant and she lets out an audible sigh. I let it go. We ordered what we wanted. I complemented her hair bow (it was a cute Halloween one). She looked at me and sighed again. So, we went back to our room and ate. Then we start smelling...bathroom smells. Not great. That continued the rest of the way. Our attendant came to take our dinner order. I told him we would eat at the diner since my husband has never done that. He said, "I'm just going to bring it to you." We get our food about 20 minutes later. As we're eating, he comes back and says, "I can make the beds up now." I looked at our food and back at him and he just stared at me. I said, "Maybe in about half an hour?" and he walked away. 20 minutes later he comes back and says, "I'm going to make your beds up now." As he's making the bed up, he again starts telling me about breakfast and I again tell him we're getting off in CLE and AGAIN he looks surprised. My husband took the opportunity to go to the restroom and the SA told him, "Just use the one in your room. Your wife knows what happens. You don't have to go by coach." My husband is a shy guy, so he nervously laughed and walked down to the coach car. The SA looked at me and he said, "No one wants to just stay in their rooms. There's even the bathroom right there." I said, "I get not wanting to use the toilet 3 inches from where I'm going to sleep." He said nothing else. The rest of the trip was uneventful besides the wafting bathroom odor, and we were over an hour late into CLE due to the bridge over the Hudson in ALB having to be manually closed apparently.
Now I haven't taken Amtrak since before the panorama and this was my husband's first trip, and honestly may be his last. I was saddened at the quality of service on the train now. These employees are hospitality workers and none of them seem to realize that. Another passenger and I almost got left in ALB because he didn't want to come back and open the door and I still don't know where he was! Every employee was happier sitting than doing anything else! To not let us enjoy the room the entire trip because you want to get off faster is not okay! Trying to get people to just stay in their rooms so they don't have to make people do work is not okay! It just felt like everyone wanted to do nothing except get a paycheck. I was disappointed. I have two more trips coming up in January and February. Hopefully, I get people that take pride in their work.
I know I might sound like a Karen, but I'm not. I'm a 41-year-old businesswoman who paid a lot of money to share something she loves with her husband in the hopes that he would fall in love with it to. I know he was not happy. I wasn't happy. I kept apologizing to him and tried to tell him that this wasn't what it is supposed to be. That the crew was just bad. I don't know if he'll be getting on the train with me again any time soon.
On the way back we were on the 449 in Roomette 4 on 10/6 - Our SA this time, I can't remember his name really was almost forceful that we don't need to leave our rooms for anything. At first, I was thinking it was because he could get our meals for us and bring them back and was trying to be helpful. He started explaining when breakfast would be (it was 12:50PM) and I told him we get off in CLE. He seemed surprised. My husband and I went to the cafe to grab our lunch. Half of the cafe car had signs (stickers) on the wall saying For Crew Use Only. There were both attendants, two conductors, and the Cafe attendant sitting there laughing. I get to the window at the cafe car and look back and smile at the cafe attendant and she lets out an audible sigh. I let it go. We ordered what we wanted. I complemented her hair bow (it was a cute Halloween one). She looked at me and sighed again. So, we went back to our room and ate. Then we start smelling...bathroom smells. Not great. That continued the rest of the way. Our attendant came to take our dinner order. I told him we would eat at the diner since my husband has never done that. He said, "I'm just going to bring it to you." We get our food about 20 minutes later. As we're eating, he comes back and says, "I can make the beds up now." I looked at our food and back at him and he just stared at me. I said, "Maybe in about half an hour?" and he walked away. 20 minutes later he comes back and says, "I'm going to make your beds up now." As he's making the bed up, he again starts telling me about breakfast and I again tell him we're getting off in CLE and AGAIN he looks surprised. My husband took the opportunity to go to the restroom and the SA told him, "Just use the one in your room. Your wife knows what happens. You don't have to go by coach." My husband is a shy guy, so he nervously laughed and walked down to the coach car. The SA looked at me and he said, "No one wants to just stay in their rooms. There's even the bathroom right there." I said, "I get not wanting to use the toilet 3 inches from where I'm going to sleep." He said nothing else. The rest of the trip was uneventful besides the wafting bathroom odor, and we were over an hour late into CLE due to the bridge over the Hudson in ALB having to be manually closed apparently.
Now I haven't taken Amtrak since before the panorama and this was my husband's first trip, and honestly may be his last. I was saddened at the quality of service on the train now. These employees are hospitality workers and none of them seem to realize that. Another passenger and I almost got left in ALB because he didn't want to come back and open the door and I still don't know where he was! Every employee was happier sitting than doing anything else! To not let us enjoy the room the entire trip because you want to get off faster is not okay! Trying to get people to just stay in their rooms so they don't have to make people do work is not okay! It just felt like everyone wanted to do nothing except get a paycheck. I was disappointed. I have two more trips coming up in January and February. Hopefully, I get people that take pride in their work.
I know I might sound like a Karen, but I'm not. I'm a 41-year-old businesswoman who paid a lot of money to share something she loves with her husband in the hopes that he would fall in love with it to. I know he was not happy. I wasn't happy. I kept apologizing to him and tried to tell him that this wasn't what it is supposed to be. That the crew was just bad. I don't know if he'll be getting on the train with me again any time soon.
