New dining options (flex dining) effective October 1, 2019

[Barb Stout]

It would not take any additional staff if there were adequate vending machines onboard the train for snack and drink items. Today's vending machines are very flexible/capable/reliable and take various means of payment.

Just last night I tried to get something from one of these fancy vending machines. It spent over a minute trying to authorize my cc when I decided that this method wasn't going to be fruitful, so I tried to cancel so I could try with cash. But no, it took just as long to cancel. I gave up and walked away while it was still cancelling, so maybe it's still trying to cancel it. If they're all like that, some hangry people are going to take care of those machines in real short order. I was hangry and was highly tempted to retrieve my husband's bass clarinet holder (heavy and dense metal) to take care of the machine, but didn't have the energy or strength.

 

[Winecliff Station]

Honestly, I'd like to see a bunch of us on the platform at JAX one morning heating MREs. The optics would be classic.

That would save a lot of space on the train....because then you could get rid of half the bathrooms.

 

[Winecliff Station]

So the word is that the ship gets in at 7am, so I tried to move us to the Meteor. Got the red exclamation point because I’m 300 points short for the difference, so I shared 1000 points from hubby’s account. Now the award price went up another 6k points. I’m sorry, but we’re talking a 10k difference ($200) from the Starve, which seems like a lot for free TV dinners and an eight hour earlier arrival, especially after checking in on this thread.

I think I’m going to just sulk into my mojito right now while I wait for Movie Theme Trivia to start.

 

[Anderson]

So the word is that the ship gets in at 7am, so I tried to move us to the Meteor. Got the red exclamation point because I’m 300 points short for the difference, so I shared 1000 points from hubby’s account. Now the award price went up another 6k points. I’m sorry, but we’re talking a 10k difference ($200) from the Starve, which seems like a lot for free TV dinners and an eight hour earlier arrival, especially after checking in on this thread.

I think I’m going to just sulk into my mojito right now while I wait for Movie Theme Trivia to start.

Check back. Sometimes it falls right back to where it was...

 

[Winecliff Station]

Check back. Sometimes it falls right back to where it was...

Well we just won Movie theme trivia so I’m feeling lucky.......

 

[pennyk]

I am on the Silver Meteor now and, for most passengers, this is the first time they are experiencing flex dining. The reviews are mainly negative (except for the 7 year old who really liked the pasta and meatballs and really really liked the brownie). The reviews on the polenta are pretty negative although many thought the beef dish was tasty (but were not happy with the amount of sodium). The reviews of shrimp and sausage were "OK." In general, passengers thought they were eating a tv dinner.

There are 3 managers from the Miami crew base on the train and are doing their best to help out. The LSA is being run ragged. He is doing the work of 3.

The chef that was on the train during my trip a few weeks ago is now a coach attendant. She recognized me and knew my name.
My SCA is a coach attendant that is subbing for an SCA that is on vacation.

I heard that it is possible that if and when the Silver Star starts flex dining next year, the sleeper meals will be served out of the cafe car and not out of a Viewliner 2 diner.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I am on the Silver Meteor now and, for most passengers, this is the first time they are experiencing flex dining. The reviews are mainly negative (except for the 7 year old who really liked the pasta and meatballs and really really liked the brownie). The reviews on the polenta are pretty negative although many thought the beef dish was tasty (but were not happy with the amount of sodium). The reviews of shrimp and sausage were "OK." In general, passengers thought they were eating a tv dinner.

There are 3 managers from the Miami crew base on the train and are doing their best to help out. The LSA is being run ragged. He is doing the work of 3.

The chef that was on the train during my trip a few weeks ago is now a coach attendant. She recognized me and knew my name.
My SCA is a coach attendant that is subbing for an SCA that is on vacation.

I heard that it is possible that if and when the Silver Star starts flex dining next year, the sleeper meals will be served out of the cafe car and not out of a Viewliner 2 diner.

Thanks Penny! Doesnt sound promising for the Silver Trains!( glad the Crew members kept their jobs! )Can the Auto- Train be next???

 

[Anderson]

Thanks Penny! Doesnt sound promising for the Silver Trains!( glad the Crew members kept their jobs! )Can the Auto- Train be next???

The Auto Train is being screwed around with in a different way (cutting diner access for coach pax come 1/15). Reading what's on Anderson's mind (always scary), it seems that he's trying to make the Auto Train sleeper experience a "proper" premium experience vs the coach experience.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

In general, passengers thought they were eating a tv dinner.

Which they are, with a side salad.

There are 3 managers from the Miami crew base on the train and are doing their best to help out. The LSA is being run ragged. He is doing the work of 3.

That nice, but the next train not going to have any managers so then what?

I heard that it is possible that if and when the Silver Star starts flex dining next year, the sleeper meals will be served out of the cafe car and not out of a Viewliner 2 diner.

I would hope not, those Viewliners 2 Diners are expensive wheel count cars.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Reading what's on Anderson's mind (always scary), it seems that he's trying to make the Auto Train sleeper experience a "proper" premium experience vs the coach experience.

So a “proper” premium service is food service, not the bed with a shower?
I want better food if it going to be a “proper” premium service.

 

[Anderson]

So a “proper” premium service is food service, not the bed with a shower?
I want better food if it going to be a “proper” premium service.

I think the case would be that it is both (after all, Amtrak is offering sleeper service with mediocre-at-best food on a number of eastern trains). Amtrak has said they're going to improve the cafe offerings for coach pax to a "cross country cafe"; we'll see how this goes, given the whole food truck sideshow (which is problematic if only because buying food at 1500 to eat at 1900 doesn't feel like a winning proposition).

The question is what happens to the F&B for sleeper pax after 1/15...and I can't give you a clear guess there.

 

[user 14106]

The question is what happens to the F&B for sleeper pax after 1/15...and I can't give you a clear guess there.

It isn’t going to be flex dining. They are going to continue to have the same crew for the sleeper dining car. What the menu looks like who knows but will still have a Chef.

 

[user 14106]

I heard that it is possible that if and when the Silver Star starts flex dining next year, the sleeper meals will be served out of the cafe car and not out of a Viewliner 2 diner.

If they did that they would be reneging on one of the selling points which is supposed to be a private lounge area for sleeper passengers. I honestly don’t see how the cafe car attendant can handle serving the flex meals as well as doing the Normal cafe work - it seems the LSA in the VL2 diners is overworked enough as it is. Hopefully that turns out to be fake news.

 

[pennyk]

If they did that they would be reneging on one of the selling points which is supposed to be a private lounge area for sleeper passengers. I honestly don’t see how the cafe car attendant can handle serving the flex meals as well as doing the Normal cafe work - it seems the LSA in the VL2 diners is overworked enough as it is. Hopefully that turns out to be fake news.

I, too, hope that the news is inaccurate. I heard there would be 2 attendants in the cafe car. One for flex dining and one for cafe.

 

[Rasputin]

It seems like this transition period is a very poor time to be travelling as a sleeper passenger on Amtrak's eastern trains. It sounds like it is the beginning of the end. It will be interesting to see if it gets straightened out in the next few months when we have our next trip. Perhaps the decline will flat-line by then.

 

[Palmetto]

Here's my take on the changing of the dining experience: it's a giant case of unmet expectations, and that always results in angst in us humans--some, more than others. [No, I'm not a psychologist, but I've been around long enough to know better.]

 

[KiraPi]

I took my very first long distance trip between NYC and Chicago this past weekend. I took the Capitol Limited and the Cardinal.
I tried the shrimp & sausage, twice, and the chicken fettuccine once. I have to say, I'm not a fan of the food. It wasn't the worst thing ever only because I've had a variety of different microwaved meals before. Microwaved pasta just isn't good. It turns the pasta into a sticky block and the cheesy sauce starts to separate and get grainy. The shrimp & sausage was a little better but it's still a microwaved meal. As for breakfast, it was at least a nice break from the microwaved stuff. I'm not much of a breakfast person but I did grab a muffin and a banana just for a change of pace.
I'm sad to have missed the real food they used to serve. Even the car attendant isn't a fan. She suggested I try it and complain if I didn't care for it. I might do just that.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I took my very first long distance trip between NYC and Chicago this past weekend. I took the Capitol Limited and the Cardinal.
I tried the shrimp & sausage, twice, and the chicken fettuccine once. I have to say, I'm not a fan of the food. It wasn't the worst thing ever only because I've had a variety of different microwaved meals before. Microwaved pasta just isn't good. It turns the pasta into a sticky block and the cheesy sauce starts to separate and get grainy. The shrimp & sausage was a little better but it's still a microwaved meal. As for breakfast, it was at least a nice break from the microwaved stuff. I'm not much of a breakfast person but I did grab a muffin and a banana just for a change of pace.
I'm sad to have missed the real food they used to serve. Even the car attendant isn't a fan. She suggested I try it and complain if I didn't care for it. I might do just that.

It wasn’t microwaved. They use a convection oven.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

It wasn’t microwaved. They use a convection oven.

While technically correct, It really does taste and look like a microwaved meal.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

While technically correct, It really does taste and look like a microwaved meal.

Agreed. How you heat these meals doesn't change the ingredients or improve the freshness or make it taste any better. Microwaves have a bad reputation because they're mainly used to reheat low quality freezer food. If you put fresh high quality food in a microwave, and heat it with a bit of care, it can actually taste pretty good.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

If the dining car is being used as a lounge for sleeper passengers as well, are you allowed to:

1. Buy something in the cafe car and bring it into the dining car to eat?
2. Bring something from outside and bring it into the dining car to eat?

For example, if I got on the Meteor in Philly around dinner time, could I get a veggie burger from the cafe and eat it in the dining car? Or get something really good from one of the many fine dining establishments in Philly and bring it on board and eat it in the dining car?

Or would I have to just have an early meal in Philly before boarding if I don't want the flexible garbage in the dining car?

 

[crescent-zephyr]

If the dining car is being used as a lounge for sleeper passengers as well, are you allowed to:

1. Buy something in the cafe car and bring it into the dining car to eat?
2. Bring something from outside and bring it into the dining car to eat?

For example, if I got on the Meteor in Philly around dinner time, could I get a veggie burger from the cafe and eat it in the dining car? Or get something really good from one of the many fine dining establishments in Philly and bring it on board and eat it in the dining car?

Or would I have to just have an early meal in Philly before boarding if I don't want the flexible garbage in the dining car?

I don't think there would be any problem with bringing in food from the cafe car. If you brought in a full meal someone might say something... but they may not? For what it's worth I saw employees bring their own food into the sleeper lounge and eat it.

 

[TEREB]

So the word is that the ship gets in at 7am, so I tried to move us to the Meteor. Got the red exclamation point because I’m 300 points short for the difference, so I shared 1000 points from hubby’s account. Now the award price went up another 6k points. I’m sorry, but we’re talking a 10k difference ($200) from the Starve, which seems like a lot for free TV dinners and an eight hour earlier arrival, especially after checking in on this thread.

I think I’m going to just sulk into my mojito right now while I wait for Movie Theme Trivia to start.

just a heads up. Do yourself a favor and download Mobile Passport, if you haven’t already done so. Saves a heap of time going through customs. They have their own line. I’ve kissed that app more than once.

 

[jis]

I believe that what happens to on board food service 2020 onward depends entirely on what is stated about it in the 2020 Authorization Bill. This is the time to start campaigning with your representatives on this matter. Amtrak management will do whatever it is told to do. Past experience shows that even if some specific regime at Amtrak takes some initiative to improve things, those improvements do not last unless they are grounded in what Authorization Bills say.

 

[Winecliff Station]

just a heads up. Do yourself a favor and download Mobile Passport, if you haven’t already done so. Saves a heap of time going through customs. They have their own line. I’ve kissed that app more than once.

Thanks! I think they’re having us do customs the day before at Key West but it can’t help to be prepared