Crescent discussion 2023 Q4 - 2024

[zephyr17]

For years I traveled Coach between the west and east coasts on the SWC. Then one night after boarding back in 2010 I became aware that I could book a roomette on the train at lower price. (I boarded in Kingman Ar.) I had a great time and the food was great considering this was a train. In the ensuing years I pre-booked roomettes and had awesome rides on the SWC. it has been now been years since I traveled Amtrak and after reading posts on this site I am reluctant to get a roomette when i next decide to travel East. I do not fly so I would rather sit in coach and bring my own cache of food. It is a shame that the quality of service has fallen so much.

The SW Chief has "traditional" dining so what you read here, justifiably complaining about Flex dining, does not apply to it. I consider the current version of traditional better than the one offered prior to COVID, btw. Also the SW Chief retains its Sightseer Lounge.

The current experience on the SW Chief should be little different than what you experienced in the past with traditional dining and Sightseer Lounge.

Flex is on the eastern connecting trains out of Chicago. Enduring one night of coach to avoid it, and the more expensive sleeper fares on those trains is a reasonable choice, but there is no reason to avoid the SW Chief.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

That’s the crux of it. The Crescent charges quite a bit for their sleepers. To be served flex is an insult. Good cooked to order food(traditional dining) is part of the Amtrak experience.!Not reheated TV dinners.

I just began a rail pass. First part is NY to Chicago on the LSL. I did book a roomette on the CONO to New Orleans because I found one for $350. Also it’s cafe car food for sleepers, a step up from flex. Back to the pass from NOL to Washington.on the Crrscent. I was trying to break it up with an overnight from Birmingham to Greensboro, but at $450 I passed.

Are you getting off the train in Greensboro or were you just hoping to leave the sleeper for a coach seat? Have you been to Greensboro before?

 

[user 14106]

It’s not the cost of the food that saves them money, it’s the dining car payroll.

Correct; the flex meals actually carry higher food costs per passenger per meal than traditional dining.

 

[Sidney]

Are you getting off the train in Greensboro or were you just hoping to leave the sleeper for a coach seat? Have you been to Greensboro before?

No. I’m on a rail pass between New Orleans and Washington. I was hoping to break it up overnight in a sleeper and the two stops that work were Birmingham and Greensboro. At close to $500 extra for a bed and flex food,I gave it a pass. At $200 to $250 I probably would have done it and broken up the pass from NOL to BHM and Greensboro to DC.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

No. I’m on a rail pass between New Orleans and Washington. I was hoping to break it up overnight in a sleeper and the two stops that work were Birmingham and Greensboro. At close to $500 extra for a bed and flex food,I gave it a pass. At $200 to $250 I probably would have done it and broken up the pass from NOL to BHM and Greensboro to DC.

I guess you could not do a bid up with a rail pass. Either a rail pass or buy a ticket and then bid up for that segment. Correct?

 

[zephyr17]

I guess you could not do a bid up with a rail pass. Either a rail pass or buy a ticket and then bid up for that segment. Correct?

I don't think the current iteration of the pass is valid for sleepers, period. You can't do a straight upgrade with a pass, so Bid Up would also be out.

My understanding is you have to buy an entirely separate ticket for a segment you want a sleeper on. You cannot use the pass.

 

[Sidney]

I guess you could not do a bid up with a rail pass. Either a rail pass or buy a ticket and then bid up for that segment. Correct?

No bid ups on the rail pass. If I bought Coach for some segments outside of the pass I could bid up. I’m on my second segment NY to Chicago on the Lake Sure. Always fun to see them connect the Boston section in Albany. Tomorrow a roomette on the City of New Orleans. A reasonable price of $350. Then The Crescent the next day up to DC. Overnight , home to Pa continuing the pass on July 10 using The Cardinal The Southwest Chief and Coast Starlight with stops overnight before flying back to BWI

 

[cassie225]

So what is the refresh on the Superliner refurb. I was so hoping that traditional would be back on Crescent in October or November this year as I wanted the down time to myself in a sleeper to New Jersey. Foot surgery is causing me to put off flying there in August( I’m terrified) but just having my time on the train is so refreshing. Movies, music, sleeping. Aww!!! I know it’s thirty hours or more but after getting out of Atlanta I’m set. I wish going from NO to Atlanta were overnight and the rest was daytime

 

[jis]

So what is the refresh on the Superliner refurb. I was so hoping that traditional would be back on Crescent in October or November this year as I wanted the down time to myself in a sleeper to New Jersey. Foot surgery is causing me to put off flying there in August( I’m terrified) but just having my time on the train is so refreshing. Movies, music, sleeping. Aww!!! I know it’s thirty hours or more but after getting out of Atlanta I’m set. I wish going from NO to Atlanta were overnight and the rest was daytime

Crescent is not Superliner. The Sleepers on it are Viewliner and Viewliner Is are due for refurb in the second half of this calendar year. Of course, the Viewliner IIs are new, so no refurb for them.

 

[cassie225]

Yeah I know Crescent is Viewliner but someone said Viewliner refresh was gonna be like the super liner so what does it look like. So some of Viewliners are new. Would Crescent have some of those new ones ? Is it just the luck of the draw

 

[jis]

Yeah I know Crescent is Viewliner but someone said Viewliner refresh was gonna be like the super liner so what does it look like. So some of Viewliners are new. Would Crescent have some of those new ones ? Is it just the luck of the draw

The Bag-Dorm in which some Roomettes are sold, is Viewliner II. The full Viewliners may be Viewliner II but most likely will be Viewliner Is So if you want a Viewliner II Roomette get one in the Bag-Dorm.

 

[zephyr17]

The Bag-Dorm in which some Roomettes are sold, is Viewliner II. The full Viewliners may be Viewliner II but most likely will be Viewliner Is So if you want a Viewliner II Roomette get one in the Bag-Dorm.

Which car line is the bag-dorm running under?

 

[jis]

Which car line is the bag-dorm running under?

I don't know. Maybe someone who frequents the Crescent knows.

 

[Jack Kittle]

I don't know. Maybe someone who frequents the Crescent knows.

1912 and 2012

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Just got back from the dinner car for breakfast on the Crescent. Yes it was a flex meal but I have had worse pancakes and sausage. it was so nice to have a chance to sit in the dinner car and see the views from both sides of the car and with windows . I talked with the attendant and she was happy to have the dinner car back as well.

Even without the flowers and table cloth never take away the dinner car please, though the flowers were a nice touch.

The date plate had CAF Elmira, NY 2018. Did Amtrak refurb these and the turn around and months later pull them off the train? The flex meals and dinner car removal predated Covid, correct?

 

[Sidney]

Just got back from the dinner car for breakfast on the Crescent. Yes it was a flex meal but I have had worse pancakes and sausage. it was so nice to have a chance to sit in the dinner car and see the views from both sides of the car and with windows . I talked with the attendant and she was happy to have the dinner car back as well.

Even without the flowers and table cloth never take away the dinner car please, though the flowers were a nice touch.

The date plate had CAF Elmira, NY 2018. Did Amtrak refurb these and the turn around and months later pull them off the train? The flex meals and dinner car removal predated Covid, correct?

The flex food started on The Crescent in October 2019, predating Covid. The Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited switched to flex in June 2018. All the other Eastern trains switched to Flex the same day as The Crescent.

 

[Eternityroad]

The SW Chief has "traditional" dining so what you read here, justifiably complaining about Flex dining, does not apply to it. I consider the current version of traditional better than the one offered prior to COVID, btw. Also the SW Chief retains its Sightseer Lounge.

The current experience on the SW Chief should be little different than what you experienced in the past with traditional dining and Sightseer Lounge.

Flex is on the eastern connecting trains out of Chicago. Enduring one night of coach to avoid it, and the more expensive sleeper fares on those trains is a reasonable choice, but there is no reason to avoid the SW Chief.

Thanks.

Thanks.

Btw part of my trip takes me on Lake Shore Limited. Flex or trad?

 

[zephyr17]

Btw part of my trip takes me on Lake Shore Limited. Flex or trad?

Lake Shore is on Flex, but now features a flower on the table.

If a night in coach does not phase you, giving the really expensive sleeper fares and Flex dining on the LSL a miss is not a bad plan.

 

[xzperu42]

I’m on it now… Flex unfortunately.

On the plus side my Viewliner 1 Roomette is in pretty good shape and the windows are almost clean. My service attendant is also good.

 

[Eternityroad]

I liked the Viewliners when I last took one in 2014. Except for the ensuite toilet. Anyway, on that trip I learned they have a nickname for this train: The Late-For-Sure-Limited. And it was! They had to hold the SWC an hour in Chicago so we and others wouldn't miss our connection.

 

[BlackDiamond]

Anyway, on that trip I learned they have a nickname for this train: The Late-For-Sure-Limited. And it was! They had to hold the SWC an hour in Chicago so we and others wouldn't miss our connection.

Actually the LSL hasn't been too bad lately. Looking at the data for all of 2024 so far, there were only 7 occasions where train 49 was 2 hours or more late. Average delay was 7 min late. According to ASMAD.

 

[joelkfla]

The date plate had CAF Elmira, NY 2018. Did Amtrak refurb these and the turn around and months later pull them off the train? The flex meals and dinner car removal predated Covid, correct?

The diner was part of the VL II order, so it was new in 2018, not refurbished. I don't know when the diner was removed from the Crescent, nor whether there was a VL II diner on the Crescent for a short time or it was running a Heritage Diner up until the diner was removed.

 

[Shanson]

so what does it look like.

The refresh is simply updated upholstery and curtains. If it's like the Superliners, it's blue and Grey Naugahide.

 

[zephyr17]

The diner was part of the VL II order, so it was new in 2018, not refurbished. I don't know when the diner was removed from the Crescent, nor whether there was a VL II diner on the Crescent for a short time or it was running a Heritage Diner up until the diner was removed.

There was a new Viewliner II diner providing full traditional dining on the Crescent when I rode it in the spring of 2018.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

The diner was part of the VL II order, so it was new in 2018, not refurbished. I don't know when the diner was removed from the Crescent, nor whether there was a VL II diner on the Crescent for a short time or it was running a Heritage Diner up until the diner was

What a waste to purchase those new and then take them off the trains so some after. They are nice. I don't remember the same look the last time I was in a dinner which would have been the summer of 2018 for an anniversary trip on the Crescent from Greensboro to Philly.


In the VLII bag/dorm on the Cardinal as I type this just leaving Staunton. My wife prefers the VL1 with bathroom in the room. I tend to agree. But just happy to be on a train. Riding through the mountains here makes me want a train to Asheville all the more and I wish someone would come up with money to run a scenic train from Greensboro (or Winston-Salem or Rural Hall) to N. Wilksboro as it runs along the Yadkin River. (We just rode by the Buckingham Branch and they have a scenic train behind an engine for the Virginia Scenic Railway.)