I am looking to take a 3rd long-distance trip on the Coast Starlight from Seattle to Los Angeles in September. This time, I’m planning on bringing my parents along for the ride. They want to experience what it’s like to be Snoopy, and travel first-class and see the VIP Lounge. I’m planning on buying them a Roomette with my AGR MasterCard and then using my points for my own Roomette. I’ve only traveled In Viewliners, never on a Superliner sleeper. What are the differences? I’ve read the Superliner Roomette does not have its own potty. We would have to use the community bathroom. What is the layout of the Superliner? How would Reservations book us? Would we have rooms across from each other?
Coast Starlight Roomettes
- Thread starter Oreius
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You would need to phone and speak to an agent to get rooms across from each other. Correct, there are no toilets in the Superliner roomettes. There are several community restrooms in each Superliner sleeper car. Superliners are on 2 levels - roomettes downstairs and upstairs. Bedrooms are upstairs; Family bedroom and Handicap bedroom are downstairs.
Maglev
Conductor
5 and 6 are upstairs, just a short distance from the upstairs toilet. There are also three more toilets and the shower downstairs.
Diagrams of all the different Amtrak cars can be found here: Amtrak Car Diagrams @ CraigMashburn.com
One big difference is the upper bunk. The Viewliner has windows and is easier to get in and out of than a Superliner upper bed which has no window. Plus as was mentioned, no sink or commode.
The two roomettes are on opposite sides of the car so you can move back and forth for views. Depending on how agile your folks are, you might claim a higher bunk so they can have the two lower ones. That would split them up, though.
Sadly, no. At least at the moment...we'll have to see whether real dining comes back.
No. All trains have "flexible dining".May 21 is the target date to return full service to the Western trains. It's been pushed back twice already. Until this pedemic lets up and/or everybody has been vaccinated I don't see a return to full service dining anytime soon
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And, in my experience, those downstairs bathrooms get nowhere near the use of the upstairs ones probably because most people don't want to bother going downstairs. While I never saw a really dirty sleeper toilet, the ones downstairs seemed to not have been used at all even though they were. Downstairs is where the shower is also.
When traveling in the Handicapped room, one is right by those downstairs toilets so one hears the doors open and close and therefore can detect their use. At night, I hear nothing (my hearing aids are in a bag) but the noise, even during the day, is not loud and is mostly the door being banged shut.
fdaley
OBS Chief
Be aware that the upper bunk on the Superliners is a much tighter fit than on a Viewliner. The space between the bunk and the roof of the car is less than 3 feet. On a Viewliner, besides having a window in the upper bunk, you can sit up in bed. On the Superliner, you can't. I found it tolerable when I was 35, but I tolerated it a lot less well at 50.
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I always called upper bunk " the coffin" when my wife and I traveled alot!
You will get the AGR credit card points on the next billing cycle, you wont get the Amtrak generated points until after the trip is taken.
Do you think I should modify my reservation so my parents can have a Bedroom? I can pay cash for my Roomette. A Bedroom cost 49K points. However, my mom had double knee-replacement surgery and has trouble with steps. I want them to be on the upper level with me so they can access all the features while only using the steps to embark/disembark. Also, my parents would have their own potty. What do you think?
Mailliw
OBS Chief
I think the regular bedrooms are all on the upper floor.
fdaley
OBS Chief
If your parents are near or beyond retirement age, I'd guess they'd be much more comfortable in a bedroom. The lower bunk is wide enough to sleep two, if no one's particularly large. And if one of them wants the upper bunk, it's at least wider than the one in the roomette, though the vertical clearance is still tight. Plus there's the private toilet and shower. And in the daytime, the sofa is long enough that you could join them to take in some of the scenery.
I do hope the dining service is restored or at least improved by the time of your trip, though given where we are now with the pandemic, I have my doubts.
If you opt for a bedroom and a roomette for the three of you, you might consider offering the roomette's bed for one of your parents, leaving the other parent in the bedroom lower bunk and taking the upper bunk in the bedroom for yourself. I know that getting up and down to and from the upper bunk has gotten to be a challenge since hubby and I have hit Medicare age (and then some!) The bottom bed in a Superliner is fine for honeymooners, or a couple of very thin folks who like each other a lot, but I would never have subjected my parents to sleeping together there.
The other posters have covered most points. I would like to point out that the upper berths in Superliner roomettes have significantly less headroom than Viewliner uppers, you cannot sit up fully in one. The Superliner upper is called "the coffin" by some due to its tight confines. Also, no upper window.
Also, there is no luggage cubby in Superliner roomettes. There is a big, common use luggage rack available on the lower level.
Also, there is no luggage cubby in Superliner roomettes. There is a big, common use luggage rack available on the lower level.
Yes I would go for the bedroom. Much better accommodation. Nice to have the bathroom/shower.
Chris I
Service Attendant
I've been on quite a few night trains around the world, and the Roomette upper berth experience on the Empire Builder can only be described as "Bumpy Coffin" in my book. I'm also 6'5", so I'm sure that doesn't help...
My dad is 6’2” so the upper berth in a Roomette would be quite tight. My mom is 4’11” so I would assume she’d fit OK in the Bedroom upper bunk. Is there a ladder you climb or just steps? I figured a Roomette would be VERY tight for the both of them.
fdaley
OBS Chief
There's a ladder in the bedrooms. It just requires some agility because, once you get up there, you have to crawl into a horizontal position because there isn't room to sit upright. At least the bed is wider than a roomette upper.
I called the dedicated Select AGR line, and the very helpful agent was able to modify my reservation. I used 49K of my points and got a Bedroom for myself, and paid cash plus a companion coupon for my parents in a Roomette. I will take the Roomette, and I’ll give them the Bedroom. My mom had double-knee replacement surgery, and will be having shoulder replacement surgery in March. I wanted them to be more comfortable, and also wanted Mom to have a private potty. The agent told me the Bedroom can seat three during the day, so I can join them. Then sleep in the Roomette at night.
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