I tip $20. for my roomette and $20. for my wife's roomette. I do this at the start of the trip. If the service has been "above and beyond", I tip an extra $10. with a "thank you". Out of 7 trips, extra was twice, but it was never poor.
Sleeper accommodation discussion
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GAT
GAT
I'll be on the CZ and SL in April. Both are two-nighters. Do they both keep the same SCA crew for the whole journey? Or should I ask them when I get on board
They do. You should have the same cafe attendant, dining car attendants, and sleeping car attendants (so all OBS positions) the whole way. Only conductors and engineers switch.
GAT
GAT
On the Chicago to Tucson leg, you will be in a Superliner which have two levels, upper and lower. Most of the roomettes are on the upper level as is the dining car, but some roomettes are on the lower level. You can only walk to another car from the upper level. So if you're in a roomette on a lower level, you also have to "remember" to go upstairs and downstairs to get from car to car. I believe you can ask for a roomette on a particular level, but I myself haven't done so, so am not sure of how one would do this.
Also, to get the sleeping car attendant's (SCA) attention, one pushes the "call" button. Be sure to give the push a little oomph, as it isn't particularly sensitive. My sister wasn't pushing it strongly enough when she tried to call the SCA about the passenger in the roomette next to us who was having some kind of loud mental breakdown, so she thought it was broken and went down the hallway in the opposite direction to ask the occupants of another roomette to call the attendant. But our call button wasn't broken; my sister was just being too "shy" when pressing it.
Also, to get the sleeping car attendant's (SCA) attention, one pushes the "call" button. Be sure to give the push a little oomph, as it isn't particularly sensitive. My sister wasn't pushing it strongly enough when she tried to call the SCA about the passenger in the roomette next to us who was having some kind of loud mental breakdown, so she thought it was broken and went down the hallway in the opposite direction to ask the occupants of another roomette to call the attendant. But our call button wasn't broken; my sister was just being too "shy" when pressing it.
You could also leave your door curtain very slightly ajar on the edge and place some recognizable item (to you) that you can see when you look at the door window. You could also attach a recognizable unobstrusive pin or clip or piece of something to your interior door curtain facing outward. Then you'll know it's your room.
And absolutely get a sleeper. Makes your trip so much fun!
And absolutely get a sleeper. Makes your trip so much fun!
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I have always used a sleeper on overnight trips. On my next trip I am splurging on a bedroom rather than a roomette. The superliner roomette does not have a bathroom and as you get older it becomes a problem when you have to keep getting up in the middle of the night and walking down the hall. It also seems that my claustrophobia is getting worse. Roomettes are very tight.
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Unless it has changed, on the thru Chicago - LA Texas Eagle sleeper, the attendants change at San Antonio. One works Chicago - San Antonio and the other works San Antonio - LA. I believe this is the only Amtrak train which does this.
Also be aware that the call button can be helpful but is often not in my experience. If the attendant is on a break in the dining car or is otherwise unavailable, the call button will not be answered. I often do not use the call button and prefer to speak with the attendant in the hall when they are available.
tricia
Conductor
Back when I was traveling with my elderly dad, whose memory was iffy, I'd tape a label with his first name on his roomette door, and another with my first name on my door, across from it. The labels stayed up whether we were in our rooms or not. The SCA said he'd seen other folks do that, and it certainly reduced anxiety about finding his room: The train's only so long, just keep walking until you find the room with your name on it.
TheCrescent
OBS Chief
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I always get a sleeping car, even for trips during the day. I don’t go for noise and commotion, and in a sleeping car room, it’s generally very quiet (other than the noise of the train moving).
I believe the only way to request a specific room is to reserve by phone or in person at a ticket office. You can't do it via the website. In a Superliner the upper level are the lower numbered roomettes.
For us old farts, remember this: On a Superliner, a bottom level roomette will not require climbing getting on or off the train. HOWEVER...you WILL need the steps to get to/from the dining car.
Dakota 400
Engineer
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One of the reasons I like a bottom level roomette is that I don't have to deal with the steps in the early morning to get to/from the shower. I am more likely to be "stiff" in the morning and the steps can be an issue for me to use. When I am going to the dining car, I am likely to spend much of the time in the SSL rather than returning to the roomette. On one trip, I spent so much time out of the roomette that my SCA came looking for me to see if I was OK.
Yep, however they're on the SL, not the TE so I didn't mention it.
They said Chicago to Tucson, which would normally be the TE-SL combo
I see what happened, the post you answered was a follow on a few down from the original, which was Pit-Chi, and then Chi-Tucson....
dadonatrain
Service Attendant
I swear I used to know the answer to this and I knew how to find the answer too, when I could still pick up one of those analog schedule books and browse it in my recliner! But now I’m stuck. So, since this board obviously has hundreds of members smarter than me, I’ll ask!
On the Crescent, I assume the bedroom (not the roomette) sleeps two, upper and lower, like the bedrooms on the Superliners I’m very familiar with. But does the bedroom on the Crescent have an en suite toilet or would I still have to trudge down the hall to go potty at night? As often as I have to do that, I always want one en suite.
On the Crescent, I assume the bedroom (not the roomette) sleeps two, upper and lower, like the bedrooms on the Superliners I’m very familiar with. But does the bedroom on the Crescent have an en suite toilet or would I still have to trudge down the hall to go potty at night? As often as I have to do that, I always want one en suite.
en suite
Maglev
Conductor
The Bedrooms in the Viewliner sleepers on the Crescent have an en-suite toilet/shower combination.
dadonatrain
Service Attendant
Thank you both! I KNEW someone would know!
Yep, they're exactly the same size. You'll be in the back part of the Car close to the Sleeper that's behind the Crew Car.
The Crew members have the Rooms ( and Shower/ Restroom) passed the Stairs, and the Conductor and Crew use the Downstairs, it's normally closed to Revenue Passengers.
The Shower and Bathroom for Revenue Passengers is combined also and is located close to your room(and is usuallynicer than the ones in the Revenue Cars.)
Your Attendant will probably be the SCA from the Revenue Sleeper( they're in Roomette #1) and you'll have to go back to that Sleeper for Coffee,Water and Juice.
Be sure the LSA (and your SCA) in the Diner knows you're in the Crew Car so you get to make Meal Rezervations ,they sometimes forget to come to your room.( listen for the announcements)
Just curious -- do passengers board thru the adjacent sleeper?
Yes, only Crew use the Downstairs door on the Transdorm.
