Amtrak dining and cafe service

[TheCrescent]

What I also can’t figure out: since the Amfleet cafe cars are depressing (and old), if there’s going to be only one car with food, why not use a Viewliner diner, even modified a bit?

 

[20th Century Rider]

It really is true. On our last big trip, in early 2019 before Amtrak killed dining service on the Crescent and other eastern trains, green beans were the vegetable served with every dinner entree. We had the same green beans at every dinner from Seattle to Los Angeles to New Orleans to Virginia. They were kind of raw and rubbery on every train until the Crescent, when finally, they were tender and delicious. I had a lot of particularly good meals on that train over the years, even if it was supposedly the same stuff served on every other train. When the roast half chicken was a regular dinner offering, it always seemed better on the Crescent.

I would imagine that Amtrak has hundreds of large cans of Dinty Moore Stew and green beans stored in a massive warehouse somewhere. Very durable long lasting when sealed... and absolutely tasteless.

BTW those tender and delicious green beans that were served on the Crescent were fresh and gently cooked... what a difference 'fresh' makes!

 

[Mailliw]

Well, it has been that way ever since Amtrak started including meals in the sleeper fares in the mid 1980s.

I have never had a problem remembering my accommodation, personally. I do have to think about it for a second on long trips, though...

"Hmm, 30 car room 2, no that was the Chief, now I'm 31 room 5."

This is also how it works in any hotel restaurant that let's you charge to your room. The only difference is the car number is separate, but it's basically the same as remembering a floor number. Also there's usually only 1 or 2 sleepers, rarely more than 3.

 

[daybeers]

The server was snippy and rude and stated the chef would be mad if this information was not correct. I helped him remember his car number and told him it was 632. Then the grumpy waitress stated, so that's is room 8 car 532

Yes this is exactly the kind of ridiculous service I'm talking about.

 

[NYP2NFL01]

This is a dining-related question. Sleeper car passengers are entitled to complimentary soft drinks throughout their journey, correct? Where do you go to get them? On my last trip I went to the Cafe Car to get a cup of coffee because the SCA never made any coffee the entire trip. The attendant wanted to charge me. When I informed him I was a sleeping car passenger, he goes on a rant about how "nothing is free"! Then, he recanted and let me go with the coffee back to my room. I shudder to think what he would have said if I asked for a Coke!

 

[Mailliw]

I would've just told him it's not free, it's part of what I paid for with my sleeper fare.

 

[20th Century Rider]

This is a dining-related question. Sleeper car passengers are entitled to complimentary soft drinks throughout their journey, correct? Where do you go to get them? On my last trip I went to the Cafe Car to get a cup of coffee because the SCA never made any coffee the entire trip. The attendant wanted to charge me. When I informed him I was a sleeping car passenger, he goes on a rant about how "nothing is free"! Then, he recanted and let me go with the coffee back to my room. I shudder to think what he would have said if I asked for a Coke!

Did you request coffee from the SCA? He should have made the coffee every morning... that level of service is disappointing. Certainly do contact customer service regarding paid services not given... you may get a small voucher to apply towards future travel.

As a contingency I always travel as self sufficiently as possible... have a small hot pot and powdered coffee which can be made in the sleeper accommodation. Also have small packets of peanut butter and jam and crackers... and Wyler's drink mix to put into the water bottles.

It is Amtrak policy for the cafe car to provide free ice and hot water to any passenger requesting it... and as a sleeper passenger you are entitled to sufficient bottled water.

As I write this I am struggling with reservations to get any sleeper accommodations on a trip EUG - CHI. It is no longer a quest for low bucket... just space... most of which is at available at the highest bucket only.

OK... time elapsed. This is what I was able to get for mid October... EUG EMY CHI LAX EUG in H rooms for $2550. All but two in high buckets. Oh well... will take what I can get... these are hard times.

 

[NYP2NFL01]

I cut our SCA some slack as this was the Silver Star (pre "Super Star" consist), and he was the only SCA serving both sleeper cars. Plus, he was nuking the Flex meals in the dining car. There was plenty of bottled water and we took full advantage of that. But, if I wanted a soda for instance, I would think the cafe car is the place to go, since the dining car is not always open for service. I'm on 91 May 1 from NYP, so I'll ask my SCA and see what they say. I'll report the answer here, so stay tuned!

 

[pennyk]

I cut our SCA some slack as this was the Silver Star (pre "Super Star" consist), and he was the only SCA serving both sleeper cars. Plus, he was nuking the Flex meals in the dining car. There was plenty of bottled water and we took full advantage of that. But, if I wanted a soda for instance, I would think the cafe car is the place to go, since the dining car is not always open for service. I'm on 91 May 1 from NYP, so I'll ask my SCA and see what they say. I'll report the answer here, so stay tuned!

When traveling on the Silvers in recent times, I have never had any problems getting my "free" non-alcoholic beverage from the sleeper lounge/dining car.

 

[20th Century Rider]

I cut our SCA some slack as this was the Silver Star (pre "Super Star" consist), and he was the only SCA serving both sleeper cars. Plus, he was nuking the Flex meals in the dining car. There was plenty of bottled water and we took full advantage of that. But, if I wanted a soda for instance, I would think the cafe car is the place to go, since the dining car is not always open for service. I'm on 91 May 1 from NYP, so I'll ask my SCA and see what they say. I'll report the answer here, so stay tuned!

Understanding the staffing shortages and importance of cutting some slack... but how hard is it for the cafe attendant to give you that soda if you show him your ticket?

BTW remember getting brutally scolded when I approached the cafe attendant coming from the sleeping / business class side and approaching the counter... was told to go around to the other side and wait in line with everyone else. This is an inconsistent pattern ... on some trains the cafe attendant will service both lines... the shorter being on the sleeper / business side. OK, I get it... but please be consistent and provide signage so pax know exactly where to cue up.

 

[jis]

When traveling on the Silvers in recent times, I have never had any problems getting my "free" non-alcoholic beverage from the sleeper lounge/dining car.

In my recent trips on the Super Star in car 9114 I just asked my SCA to get me a soft drink since I did not wish to go on a hike to the Lounge and they always obliged. I have occasionally visited the Cafe and out of habit just stood in the line if there is one. Hey sometimes there isn't even a line!

 

[west point]

Once I noted that a SCA carried a small notebook and gave great service noting down requests. Sometimes he had a handful of orders but got good tips.

 

[NYP2NFL01]

And, I did wait my turn in the cafe car. Thanks for all the replies!

 

[John Bredin]

There was plenty of bottled water and we took full advantage of that. But, if I wanted a soda for instance, I would think the cafe car is the place to go, since the dining car is not always open for service.

When I was on the Lake Shore Ltd. earlier this month, the sleeper attendant told us that we could get drinks at any time in the dining car, except when the power was off for the connection/separation of the Boston and New York sections at Albany-Rensselaer. There was also a supply of bottled water in the sleeper car.

 

[TheCrescent]

Sleeping car passengers get free nonalcoholic drinks?

When ordering dinner on the Crescent, I asked for a glass of wine with dinner. The staff member told me that it wasn’t her job to wait in line in the cafe car for me.

That’s the service that I’m used to.

 

[Cal]

I never had a problem going to the cafe car as a sleeper passenger. We often go to get some wine to have as a before dinner drink in our room.


LSL will never get Superliners for reasons that have been hashed out on one of the threads here. I don't see why they couldn't do traditional dining from a Viewliner diner.

In the poster it shows the LSL with superliners. So as long as the LSL runs with viewliners the poster will not be accurate.

 

[20th Century Rider]

LSL will never get Superliners for reasons that have been hashed out on one of the threads here. I don't see why they couldn't do traditional dining from a Viewliner diner.

Those Viewliner diner's are well equipped for full service dining... and the money being charged sleeper pax should entitle appropriately high quality meals... but that isn't happening. The flex meal nonsense is disappointing and discouraging to all customers. LSL service is nowhere like the 20th Century Limited... the same route 50 years later.

Plainly a leadership and management issue that appears to be going absolutely nowhere.

 

[CameraObscura76]

I agree that it's silly to have it as a rule, but it's also silly the way some antisocial people hide behind their phone or tablet as if nobody is seated with them. If someone wants no social contact they should get their food to go instead of pretending they're seated alone despite all evidence to the contrary.

I’m sorry but I respectfully disagree with you. If I want to hide behind my device instead of feeling obligated to talk to strangers that I happen to be seated with, I don’t see anything wrong with that.

 

[Rasputin]

It is Amtrak policy for the cafe car to provide free ice and hot water to any passenger requesting it... and as a sleeper passenger you are entitled to sufficient bottled water.

It used to be that there was no particular limit on bottled water for sleeping car passengers but wasn't that changed five or six years ago when Amtrak established an official policy of two bottles of water per sleeping car passenger per day. From what I could see this was rarely enforced. I think this was adopted about the same time as other cost reduction measures such as limiting the variety of juice in the sleeping cars and limiting the variety of salad dressing options in the dining cars.

Has the bottled water limitation changed or is it still on the books?

 

[20th Century Rider]

It used to be that there was no particular limit on bottled water for sleeping car passengers but wasn't that changed five or six years ago when Amtrak established an official policy of two bottles of water per sleeping car passenger per day. From what I could see this was rarely enforced. I think this was adopted about the same time as other cost reduction measures such as limiting the variety of juice in the sleeping cars and limiting the variety of salad dressing options in the dining cars.

Has the bottled water limitation changed or is it still on the books?

I didn't know that!

So if indeed there is a limitation of two bottles per day and one has a medical condition that requires more than amount of water available they should either shlep the gallons needed for a cross country trip, or purchase it in the cafe. Or consider not going on Amtrak.

IMHO it is a human right to have access to water.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I didn't know that!

So if indeed there is a limitation of two bottles per day and one has a medical condition that requires more than amount of water available they should either shlep the gallons needed for a cross country trip, or purchase it in the cafe. Or consider not going on Amtrak.

IMHO it is a human right to have access to water.

Some of us don't even drink a whole bottle of water in a day. If you need more water, ask your neighbors.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Some of us don't even drink a whole bottle of water in a day. If you need more water, ask your neighbors.

According to medical sources a normal adult should consume eight 8 oz glasses of water a day... especially if there are medical conditions which require the body's ability to cleanse itself. The suggestion of knocking on doors to bum water off of 'your neighbors' is silly. The need water too.

 

[jis]

MODERATOR'S NOTE: Gentle nudge back to Dining.....

 

[Rasputin]

I didn't know that!

So if indeed there is a limitation of two bottles per day and one has a medical condition that requires more than amount of water available they should either shlep the gallons needed for a cross country trip, or purchase it in the cafe. Or consider not going on Amtrak.

IMHO it is a human right to have access to water.

It seems to me that I have seen the bottled water limitation somewhere. Perhaps it was in the Amtrak service manual.

However if it is in force, I have never seen it enforced. Often there is a case or two of bottled water stored in the luggage space in a superliner sleeping car and passengers appear to be free to take what they need if they run out of water which is normally placed in their room prior to depature.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I’m sorry but I respectfully disagree with you. If I want to hide behind my device instead of feeling obligated to talk to strangers that I happen to be seated with, I don’t see anything wrong with that.

You see nothing wrong with choosing to sit at a communal table while ignoring everyone around you? I'm no social butterfly, and I often find small talk tedious and boring, but I'm still aware of some basic social norms. If I sit down at a communal table in a beer garden then a bit of social interaction is expected. If I do not want any interaction then it's on me to choose another option rather than forcing my isolation onto other people. Why should Amtrak be different?