Expensive Viewliner Roomette

[Matt M.]

Hello all! My wife and I are traveling the Crescent line from New Orleans to NYC. It's a direct 30 hour, overnight trip. We wanted to book a roomette, but the price was exorbitant! We ended booking two reserved coach seats for around $240 TOTAL. To add a roomette was an additional $610, and a bedroom was $899!!! For a one night trip? What gives? I looked at other Amtrak trips that took multiple nights, and roomette a was only $150-$300 approximately. Can anyone explain why there is such a HUGE difference in the price for a roomette on the Crescent? Thank!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Usually, supply & demand. Plus, the Crescent is a single-level train and has fewer rooms/roomettes than the Superliners.

When are you traveling?

 

[crabby_appleton1950]

Are you flexible on your dates of travel?

That might bring the price down.

 

[Seaboard92]

The Crescent operates with two Viewliner sleepers so 24 roomettes pet train. Most are occupied from Atlanta to Washington. If you would look I'm willing to bet to Birmingham to New Orleans is probably cheeper. Amsnag would be the best way to find a cheeper day if your days are flexible

 

[caravanman]

I believe the Crescent has reduced days of operation too, possibly due to trackwork... Seems to just run at weekends, which will put pressure on available accomodations.

Ed.

 

[neroden]

Several of the single-level trains can have *extremely* high roomette prices some days of the week and some times of year. The roomettes are very popular and there aren't enough of them. They can't add cars because they don't have any more.

Amtrak has ordered additional Viewliner sleeper cars, but they won't arrive until sometime late next year. :-(

 

[me_little_me]

I believe the Crescent has reduced days of operation too, possibly due to trackwork... Seems to just run at weekends, which will put pressure on available accomodations.

Ed.

Most of January (and some of Feb, I believe), no trains on Monday-Thursday between NO and ATL.

 

[andrewlhe]

Crescent 19 is the first Amtrak train I've ever rode and it was an enjoyable trip.

If you are lucky, you may be on one of the consists with dining car #8553, an ex-New York Central car built in 1948

 

[valkyrie]

As AMTRAK sells the roomettes on any given train, the price they charge changes (by whatever their secret formula is) based on the number of roomettes already sold and the days remaining before departure. In the past, I believe it is true that you could get the best price by booking your roomette as far in advance of your travel date as possible (about 11 months). I don't think this is necessarily the case today as AMTRAK anticipates future demand and sets initial pricing accordingly, only dropping the price as the departure date gets closer and roomette sales are less than expected. So the price you pay for your roomette will vary and if you pay the highest possible price it will be significantly higher than the lowest possible price on the same train. For this reason, if you are flexible in your travel dates you may be able to find a roomette at a more attractive price on a train where fewer roomettes have already been sold. A quick check of AmSnag tells me that roomettes on the Crescent can vary from $232 to $610 and bedrooms from $405 to $899 (in addition to the coach fare). It is not the case that roomettes cost more on the Crescent but rather that you are traveling on a day when only one or two roomettes remain to be sold and AMTRAK is asking top dollar.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

My roomette PHL to ALX on the Crescent (where I get dinner) is cheaper than business class returning ALX to PHL on the Northeast Regional, where you get a free soda and that's about it, plus no atmosphere whatsoever. I suppose it must be supply and demand.

 

[Lonestar648]

Even 6 - 8 months out the fares vary by the day. I do a check of the optimal days for my trip to see if there is a major fare increase. Like one time on the EB, the Roomette was sky high 10 months out. Come to find out that a tour group had bought most of the rooms in both sleepers to Seattle. Just spending a few minutes to do a little research may save you a lot of money.

 

[amtrak115]

My roomette on the Crescent for WAS - NOL on the 23rd of Dec was $509. My return on the 3rd of Jan is $265. Of course the night travel is between WAS and ATL on both legs, Maybe that makes a difference

 

[Lonestar648]

Availability of rooms when you made the reservation determines the rate similar to the airlines. To check availability, I will estimate by checking using 8 Adults for 8 rooms. If, less than 8 roomettes with 2 sleepers, the rate will be much higher. Thus, if possible, I look at the next day, on either side, as an option. Many times, I have saved money going 1 day early or later.