Moving around on-board

[Jim]

Hello everyone,

I hope I am posting this in the right place. I was unable to find anything about this anywhere else. I have never taken a train anywhere before.

A group of my friends and I are taking the Crescent from Birmingham to New Orleans soon. Some of us have coach seats and some bought roomettes. They bought the roomettes to avoid the alleged high prices of the dinning car when it comes to adult beverages.

Does Amtrak have rules about people in coach going to visit people in the roomette cars?

Thanks

-Jim

 

[the_traveler]

Normally coach passengers are not allowed in the sleeping cars at all. However the sleeping car attendant and/or the Dining Car staff may allow you to visit for a short time.

You mentioned "... the high cost of adult beverages ... in the Dining Car". Meals are included in the cost of the roomette. However, alcoholic beverages are not. (They cost the same for either sleeper passengers or coach passengers!

) You can consume those that you brought aboard - but they can ONLY be consumed in your room. (Meaning you can not bring them to the Dining Car, Lounge or coach!)

 

[TVRM610]

Hello Jim!

I love the Crescent, and have taken the Birmingham to New Orleans route many times, you are going to love it!

Technically speaking, the sleepers are for passengers holding sleeping car tickets only. Personally, I'd recommend planning on hanging out in the cafe car (aka lounge) as a group.

This is a highly debated topic on this board actually. Some will say you paid for a roomette and you can do anything you please, others will say you are trying to steal from

Amtrak if you invite a friend for even a minute. Ha.

 

[Pat Harper]

Does Amtrak have rules about people in coach going to visit people in the roomette cars?

I believe they do, although they may not enforce that much. There is a sign on the door to a sleeper car that says "Only sleeper passengers allowed past this point" or something to that effect. Whoever the person is in coach would have to be escorted by the sleeper pax into the sleeper. An observant SCA would know who belongs in his/her car and might stop someone who doesn't have a room.

You could, however meet each other in the lounge, which is open to anyone.

 

[haolerider]

Hello Jim!

I love the Crescent, and have taken the Birmingham to New Orleans route many times, you are going to love it!

Technically speaking, the sleepers are for passengers holding sleeping car tickets only. Personally, I'd recommend planning on hanging out in the cafe car (aka lounge) as a group.

This is a highly debated topic on this board actually. Some will say you paid for a roomette and you can do anything you please, others will say you are trying to steal from

Amtrak if you invite a friend for even a minute. Ha.

I tend to stand somewhere in the middle on this. You certainly can't visit a friend in First Class on a plane and you can't visit some higher priced levels on a cruise ship. Although there are some who will say this smacks of elitism, the people who have purchased a roomette or a bedroom expect to have a certain level of privacy and security. I would opt for the vists in the lounge car as suggested. Even hotels have VIP levels of floors that are restricted and accessable only with a VIP card.

 

[zepherdude]

A roomette can not hold more than 2 person and a small child. If you were thinking of a canasta game in the roomette, forget it. They are really made for sleeping and sitting, not much for entertaining. Not even enough room for a suitcase. You will have a better time in the lounge car with tables and the snack bar.

Liquor is not a sleeper perk, it is additional cost to all on board. It has been a long standing policy not to allow store purchased adult beverage in public areas. Not to say its not done, let creativity be your guide. Anything in an open bottle might be frowned upon. Cocktails are 6.00 and beer is 4.50-5.50.

Here is a handy link what to expect on board. It is called Travel Tips

You folks are taking a nice trip, have fun!

http://www.on-track-...nts-menus.shtml

 

[chandj]

A roomette can not hold more than 2 person and a small child. If you were thinking of a canasta game in the roomette, forget it. They are really made for sleeping and sitting, not much for entertaining. Not even enough room for a suitcase. http://www.on-track-...nts-menus.shtml

Actually, we get two air line carry-on suitcases nicely into our roomette under the seats. However I agree a third adult in the sleeper would strain your hospitality!

 

[Jim]

Thanks for the answers! I think they got the rooms so they could bring their own on board. But $6.00 isn't bad at all. I'm looking forward to the trip.

 

[George B]

Surprisingly, the main reason for limiting sleeper cars to passengers who are ticketed for that car is space and safety. Unless the person you are visiting has a Family Bedroom with less than four people in it, there is no room for additional people. If you are visiting someone with a roomette, forget it. You will wind up standing in the passageway, and you will get noticed by an attendant, or ratted-out by a paranoid sleeper passenger. I have been chased out of sleeper cars by attendants, even though I had a sleeper ticket for another car. There just isn’t much space for extra people in the cars. I saw a conductor on the Coast Starlight come through a sleeper and start kicking people out who did not hold a ticket, threatening to kick them off the train if they came back to the sleepers. A few minutes later, they made an announcement over the PA reminding people that the sleepers were off-limits if you didn’t have a sleeper ticket for that car.

I would suggest the person you are visiting give the SCA advanced notice that you will be coming back to the sleeper. I also suggest that you do not stay for more than a few minutes. But, be prepared to be told no, or asked to leave. On the other hand you might get a train where nobody cares and the attendant is never around. In that case you could wind up spending hours in the sleeper with no harassment….but I don’t recommend you try this.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Surprisingly, the main reason for limiting sleeper cars to passengers who are ticketed for that car is space and safety. Unless the person you are visiting has a Family Bedroom with less than four people in it, there is no room for additional people. If you are visiting someone with a roomette, forget it. You will wind up standing in the passageway, and you will get noticed by an attendant, or ratted-out by a paranoid sleeper passenger. I have been chased out of sleeper cars by attendants, even though I had a sleeper ticket for another car. There just isn’t much space for extra people in the cars. I saw a conductor on the Coast Starlight come through a sleeper and start kicking people out who did not hold a ticket, threatening to kick them off the train if they came back to the sleepers. A few minutes later, they made an announcement over the PA reminding people that the sleepers were off-limits if you didn’t have a sleeper ticket for that car.

I would suggest the person you are visiting give the SCA advanced notice that you will be coming back to the sleeper. I also suggest that you do not stay for more than a few minutes. But, be prepared to be told no, or asked to leave. On the other hand you might get a train where nobody cares and the attendant is never around. In that case you could wind up spending hours in the sleeper with no harassment….but I don’t recommend you try this.

I notice the reference to Family Bedrooms. Actually, the sleepers on the Crescent are Viewliners and do not have Family Bedrooms.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

You know, I remember this girl I met on the Silver Meteor that I brought back to my roomette...

 

[TVRM610]

You know, I remember this girl I met on the Silver Meteor that I brought back to my roomette...

Haha! So many stories... So little time.

 

[GlobalistPotato]

You know, I remember this girl I met on the Silver Meteor that I brought back to my roomette...

Gee, and I thought the_traveler was the only one who has interesting stories on Amtrak... :giggle:

 

[roomette]

An Amtrak employee has never ask me to remove my neoprene cooler from a can of beer I brought from my roomette to the Sightseer Lounge.

I don't like what is for sale, so I bring what I like.

And I like to drink it, in the Sightseer Lounge.

 

[ScottC4746]

Surprisingly, the main reason for limiting sleeper cars to passengers who are ticketed for that car is space and safety. Unless the person you are visiting has a Family Bedroom with less than four people in it, there is no room for additional people. If you are visiting someone with a roomette, forget it. You will wind up standing in the passageway, and you will get noticed by an attendant, or ratted-out by a paranoid sleeper passenger. I have been chased out of sleeper cars by attendants, even though I had a sleeper ticket for another car. There just isn’t much space for extra people in the cars. I saw a conductor on the Coast Starlight come through a sleeper and start kicking people out who did not hold a ticket, threatening to kick them off the train if they came back to the sleepers. A few minutes later, they made an announcement over the PA reminding people that the sleepers were off-limits if you didn’t have a sleeper ticket for that car.

I would suggest the person you are visiting give the SCA advanced notice that you will be coming back to the sleeper. I also suggest that you do not stay for more than a few minutes. But, be prepared to be told no, or asked to leave. On the other hand you might get a train where nobody cares and the attendant is never around. In that case you could wind up spending hours in the sleeper with no harassment….but I don’t recommend you try this.

Actually one of the main reasons coach should not visit a roomette is the visitors bum sticks out in the aisle if they have more than one guest making it difficult to get by in the narrow ailse...in MOHO

 

[zepherdude]

One of my favorite train movies is North by Northwest. Cary Grant hiding from the Pullman Conductor. The above comments made me smile. So, the heck with em, who is to say Eve Kendell can't bring Roger Thornhill back to her compartment.

 

[ACVitale]

According to one SCA on a Silver trip from WPB to RGH they had a problem with coach passengers "visiting a friend in a sleeper" who were part of an organized crime group attempting (apparently on occasion successfully) going into sleepers and robbing some of the sleeper pax belongings. Not sure if that is true but, that was the story related and our SCA was dilligent in keeping pax not in our sleeper out of it.

Your mileage may vary and some assembly may be required.

 

[Anderson]

That (regrettably) does not surprise me. That said, my attitude is this: If a friend of mine is riding coach and I'm in a sleeper, presuming that we wanted to watch a movie on my laptop (earphones in use) in the lounge, I would have no problem bringing them back to pick out the movie. Quick in and out, accompanied by me the whole time, and that's it. Otherwise, the sleeper is the sleeper.

 

[ButFli]

You know, I remember this girl I met on the Silver Meteor that I brought back to my roomette...

There's just something special about the odour of a girl who has been riding in coach for 2 days...

 

[the_traveler]

You know, I remember this girl I met on the Silver Meteor that I brought back to my roomette...

Gee, and I thought the_traveler was the only one who has interesting stories on Amtrak... :giggle:

I think it was the same girl!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I don't like what is for sale, so I bring what I like. And I like to drink it, in the Sightseer Lounge.

Same here. Many folks seem to assume that if you don't drink Amtrak's liquor you must be a worthless cheapskate. Some of us simply aren't enticed by the tiny number of options Amtrak provides. Then again, I can only imagine what Amtrak would charge for a glass of Scotch that would go for $40-$50 a glass in a stationary bar. :blink:

 

[Shanghai]

I don't like what is for sale, so I bring what I like. And I like to drink it, in the Sightseer Lounge.

Same here. Many folks seem to assume that if you don't drink Amtrak's liquor you must be a worthless cheapskate. Some of us simply aren't enticed by the tiny number of options Amtrak provides. Then again, I can only imagine what Amtrak would charge for a glass of Scotch that would go for $40-$50 a glass in a stationary bar. :blink:

Dax,

If you can afford to pay $50 for a glass of Scotch, you can afford a roomette or bedroom and

drink your own booze!! Personally, I prefer Dr Pepper that I bring onboard to my roomette.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

If you can afford to pay $50 for a glass of Scotch, you can afford a roomette or bedroom anddrink your own booze!! Personally, I prefer Dr Pepper that I bring onboard to my roomette.

I don't think anybody in their right mind would actually pay that much for a glass of liquor. That's just the price that top-shelf Scotch goes for if you're in a bar that happens to carry such things. Instead of paying $50 by the glass in some bar you can simply buy the bottle for maybe $150-$200. That's still expensive but much cheaper than paying by the glass. As for upgrading to roomettes sometimes they're all sold out by the time I can clear my schedule and maybe I don't feel like paying $700+ each way for a bedroom. Is the ability to carry on a bottle of whatever worth an extra $1000 over coach? Not to me it isn't. As for Dr. Pepper I thought anybody could carry that on board, including coach passengers?

 

[the_traveler]

As for Dr. Pepper I thought anybody could carry that on board, including coach passengers?

Only if "the Dr. is in the house"!

(And not Doctor Who either!

)

 

[Shanghai]

Dax, Yes, one can carry Dr Pepper into coach.

I wish Amtrak didn't have an exclusive contract with Pepsi,

I prefer Coke & Dr Pepper over Pepsi.

Dave, I know you watch Dr Who even when there is a Doctor on the Train!!