What To Expect? Roomette Trip 2 weeks...

[Allan]

Hi all, new poster here and first ever train ride (longer than an hour downtown). Been reading online trying to get some idea's. While many topics have been covered, just flat out tell me what to expect. I am traveling chicago to new orleans in 2 weeks and i have a roomette sleeper.

how comfortable are these things?

how is the food?

can i have all my meals in the room?

how are the showers?

should i be worried about motion sickness?

are there call buttons if i need service or does the attendant have a "station" ?

thanks in advanced, any info anyone can share would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[JayPea]

To answer some questions:

The roomettes are small, but I find them comfortable. I'm rather large and have no trouble sleeping in them. As for the food, I was just on the City of New Orleans from Champaign to New Orleans, thus missing out on dinner. The breakfast was all right, but I've had better on Amtrak trains. And I wasn't impressed by the gumbo they had for lunch. But others might have had a differing opinion. You are welcome to have your meals in your room. Just let your attendant know if you wish to do so. And there is a call button in your room if you need anything. The shower, which you will find downstairs, does the job just fine, I've found. In the past, I've had some trouble with no hot water, or lukewarm at best, but lately on my trips the water has been nice and hot, to my liking. The shower room itself isn't any bigger than it needs to be, so look for that.

Have fun and enjoy your trip!

 

[Rail Freak]

Kick Back & Enjoy whatever or whoever you come across!!!!

Overnight is quite the experience!!!!

RF

 

[Upstate]

how comfortable are these things?

I find it comfortable, but I have pretty low standards on comfort.

how is the food?

The food is pretty institutionalized. Its better than airline food, but most regular restaurants can do better at half the price.

can i have all my meals in the room?

you can have that arranged.

how are the showers?

never tried one

should i be worried about motion sickness?

I have bad problems with motion sickness. If I operate machinery for more than half a day I am done for. I have never had a roomette in a Superliner, but on the Viewliner I am fine on the bottom bunk; the top bunk does give me slight problems.

are there call buttons if i need service or does the attendant have a "station" ?

there are buttons. the station is the attendants own roomette, but they are throughout the car a lot working so you can sometimes just stick your head out in the hall.

 

[BeckysBarn]

The first time I had a roomette, I slept with the curtains closed & the door slightly open. It was a little claustrophobic for me. The second time, I had no problem sleeping with the door closed. You may want to get the extra pillow from the upper berth, if you read in bed.

I haven't ridden the CONO, but I'm sure you'll have a great time! At the very least, you'll have as much conversation as you can handle.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Hi all, new poster here and first ever train ride (longer than an hour downtown). Been reading online trying to get some idea's. While many topics have been covered, just flat out tell me what to expect. I am traveling chicago to new orleans in 2 weeks and i have a roomette sleeper.
how comfortable are these things?

how is the food?

can i have all my meals in the room?

how are the showers?

should i be worried about motion sickness?

are there call buttons if i need service or does the attendant have a "station" ?

thanks in advanced, any info anyone can share would be greatly appreciated!!!

Welcome to the forum!If you are traveling alone the roomettes arent bad/bottom bunk much more comfortable than the top!

The gumbo as the OP said isnt anything special,the CCC(cross country cafe)is a concept most find unsatisfactory in that there is no lounge car on this train and as a result 1/2 the car is tables for the cafe part of the car limiting the amount of sightseeing seats!Your sleeping car attendant has a roomette in your car,usually #1 but spends the night in the crew transition sleeper in front of the regular sleeper,they usually arent around much after 10PM and will ask you if you want your bed put down by a certain time!They will deliver your meals,dinner is usually as you pull out of the station where youll be seated with others,try not to get the "mafia" seat in the 3 person booths!Brekfast and lunch are served @ all times through the cafe/diner during announced times

but the train gets to NOL before supper!

The showers on my train were fine,they are small as the OP said, towels might be a problem,they seem to run out early so ask your SCA!I took a shower in the middle of the night(Im a night owl)so no crowding,the water was hot!The tracks are fairly rough on this run so be prepared for this!

The rocking and rolling is not too bad most of the time,especially in the bottom bunk but does take getting used too!I would not shave without an electric razor!!!

There should be a call button in your room that works, try everything before you leave the station in CHI and let the SCA know if there are any problems

in your room!Lastly,if you havent been assigned a roomette,or have,you could consider getting aroom downstairs,they are quieter(generally),seem to have a smmother ride,closer to the showers and rerstrooms,luggage racks and getting on/off @ rest stops!(not too many on this train!)The worst aspect is that sight seeing isnt as good as up top and the stairs have to be climbed!Have a great trip,look for the River and the sights in Memphis and the water crossing going into NOL is pretty nice on a clear day!

 

[AlanB]

Your sleeping car attendant has a roomette in your car,usually #1 but spends the night in the crew transition sleeper in front of the regular sleeper,they usually arent around much after 10PM and will ask you if you want your bed put down by a certain time!

They aren't supposed to be doing that, they are supposed to sleep in room #1. I've never seen an attendant do that myself. And on most trains they have no choice as there are no empty rooms in the crew sleeper. Since Amtrak typically sells between 4 to 6 of the rooms, that leaves just enough for the dining car crew, cafe attendant, and the coach attendants.

So unless the regular sleepers aren't sold out, in which case rooms don't get sold in the Trans/Dorm, the attendant must sleep in his/her room in the sleeping car as there is no room for them in the Trans/Dorm.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Your sleeping car attendant has a roomette in your car,usually #1 but spends the night in the crew transition sleeper in front of the regular sleeper,they usually arent around much after 10PM and will ask you if you want your bed put down by a certain time!

They aren't supposed to be doing that, they are supposed to sleep in room #1. I've never seen an attendant do that myself. And on most trains they have no choice as there are no empty rooms in the crew sleeper. Since Amtrak typically sells between 4 to 6 of the rooms, that leaves just enough for the dining car crew, cafe attendant, and the coach attendants.

So unless the regular sleepers aren't sold out, in which case rooms don't get sold in the Trans/Dorm, the attendant must sleep in his/her room in the sleeping car as there is no room for them in the Trans/Dorm.

That's ridiculous and you know it. Crew-dorm rooms have more than one bed even though, for reasons unclear to me, crew members seem to be only assigned one to a room. They used to be slept stacked 3 or 4 high you know.

 

[the_traveler]

I surprised that nobody has mentioned that the OP is entitled to use the Metropolitan Lounge at Union Station!

most regular restaurants can do better at half the price

Meals in the Dining Car for those in sleepers are included - so please tell me where to find a restaurant that charges half of $-0-! :lol: I want to go there!

 

[jmbgeg]

Hi all, new poster here and first ever train ride (longer than an hour downtown). Been reading online trying to get some idea's. While many topics have been covered, just flat out tell me what to expect. I am traveling chicago to new orleans in 2 weeks and i have a roomette sleeper.
how comfortable are these things?

how is the food?

can i have all my meals in the room?

how are the showers?

should i be worried about motion sickness?

are there call buttons if i need service or does the attendant have a "station" ?

thanks in advanced, any info anyone can share would be greatly appreciated!!!

how comfortable are these things?

Daytime, there is a decent amount of space. At night, with the door shut and bed down, it's pretty compact. I am 6'1 and 275. I find the beds in the roomettes a little tight and have graduated to family bedrooms and deluxe bedrooms on my overnight trips; by preference. Not a lot of room for storage, but there is a luggage rack on the lower level.

how is the food?

I would compare dinners to a family restaurant like a Denny's but with a more limited menu. Breakfasts and lunches are a step down but acceptable.

can i have all my meals in the room?

I do about half the time. Remember to tip the sleeping car attendent. I don't tip after each meal but rather each day or at the end of the trip. How much to tip has been covered at length in previous threads.

how are the showers?

Nothing special. When in a roomette or family bedroom without a shower I get up early to avoid lines in the community showers. Take your own soap and shampoo. One reason that I prefer the deluxe bedrooms is the private showers.

should i be worried about motion sickness?

Never had the problem, even on cruise ships.

are there call buttons if i need service or does the attendant have a "station" ?

there are buttons. It can take a while in the morning when they are making up beds, evening when putting down beds, or on their meal or break times. Generally, attendents are responsive to the call button.

Enjoy your train trip. I have gone from a devoted flyer to an avid train traveler. It is unique, but I love most but not all aspects of sleeper travel on trains.

 

[AlanB]

That's ridiculous and you know it. Crew-dorm rooms have more than one bed even though, for reasons unclear to me, crew members seem to be only assigned one to a room. They used to be slept stacked 3 or 4 high you know.

They only assign one to a room because that's what the union contract with Amtrak requires.

As for the sleeping car attendant being required to stay in his/her car, it's not ridiculous. They aren't there just for the ride. They are there for safety reasons and that requires that they remain near those that they are responsible for. Plus, except for the 4 hours of guaranteed sleep, they may still have to get up in the middle of the night to detrain/entrain passengers.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

That's ridiculous and you know it. Crew-dorm rooms have more than one bed even though, for reasons unclear to me, crew members seem to be only assigned one to a room. They used to be slept stacked 3 or 4 high you know.

They only assign one to a room because that's what the union contract with Amtrak requires.

As for the sleeping car attendant being required to stay in his/her car, it's not ridiculous. They aren't there just for the ride. They are there for safety reasons and that requires that they remain near those that they are responsible for. Plus, except for the 4 hours of guaranteed sleep, they may still have to get up in the middle of the night to detrain/entrain passengers.

I mean its ridiculous to say that the car doesn't have the capacity. If the TAS has some TAC friend who is willing to let him sleep in the upper bunk of his roomette, there is space in the car for him to sleep. Amtrak's desire to retain him as an employee in that situation is another matter entirely.

 

[Neil_M]

That's ridiculous and you know it. Crew-dorm rooms have more than one bed even though, for reasons unclear to me, crew members seem to be only assigned one to a room. They used to be slept stacked 3 or 4 high you know.

They only assign one to a room because that's what the union contract with Amtrak requires.

As for the sleeping car attendant being required to stay in his/her car, it's not ridiculous. They aren't there just for the ride. They are there for safety reasons and that requires that they remain near those that they are responsible for. Plus, except for the 4 hours of guaranteed sleep, they may still have to get up in the middle of the night to detrain/entrain passengers.

I mean its ridiculous to say that the car doesn't have the capacity. If the TAS has some TAC friend who is willing to let him sleep in the upper bunk of his roomette, there is space in the car for him to sleep. Amtrak's desire to retain him as an employee in that situation is another matter entirely.

Perhaps, just maybe, seeing as they could be away from home for 5 or 6 days, then they might like their own space to sleep in rather than share with someone?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Your sleeping car attendant has a roomette in your car,usually #1 but spends the night in the crew transition sleeper in front of the regular sleeper,they usually arent around much after 10PM and will ask you if you want your bed put down by a certain time!

They aren't supposed to be doing that, they are supposed to sleep in room #1. I've never seen an attendant do that myself. And on most trains they have no choice as there are no empty rooms in the crew sleeper. Since Amtrak typically sells between 4 to 6 of the rooms, that leaves just enough for the dining car crew, cafe attendant, and the coach attendants.

So unless the regular sleepers aren't sold out, in which case rooms don't get sold in the Trans/Dorm, the attendant must sleep in his/her room in the sleeping car as there is no room for them in the Trans/Dorm.

Alan,I know you are correct re the SCA sleeping in their room but most of the ones Ive seen have water/juice,wine etc. stored in them and the

SCAs usually come around and tell you things like Im not getting paid after 10PM so when do you want your bed put down etc. I seldom saw a SCA after 10PM(and Im a night owl)on my 16 state/9 segment trip except on the SL from NOL-LAX

where Ken,the SCA,was always around and did a great job!Never saw the one from CHI-NOL after he put the bed down,

when we got to NOL he took off soon as the train stopped and the conductor helped the pax de-train!Needless to say the tip

he received was a figment of his imagination!We actually saw the SAs on the two coach segments more than the SCAs

(MTZ-PDX/FTW-SAS)The other exception was on the EB where a couple of the diner attendants became ill and our SCA

helped out in the diner for meals and the wine tasting!First time I ever saw that!

 

[Upstate]

I surprised that nobody has mentioned that the OP is entitled to use the Metropolitan Lounge at Union Station!

most regular restaurants can do better at half the price

Meals in the Dining Car for those in sleepers are included - so please tell me where to find a restaurant that charges half of $-0-! :lol: I want to go there!

You must not have heard: there is no such thing as a free lunch!

 

[AlanB]

Alan,I know you are correct re the SCA sleeping in their room but most of the ones Ive seen have water/juice,wine etc. stored in them and the SCAs usually come around and tell you things like Im not getting paid after 10PM so when do you want your bed put down etc. I seldom saw a SCA after 10PM(and Im a night owl)on my 16 state/9 segment trip except on the SL from NOL-LAX

where Ken,the SCA,was always around and did a great job!Never saw the one from CHI-NOL after he put the bed down,

when we got to NOL he took off soon as the train stopped and the conductor helped the pax de-train!Needless to say the tip

he received was a figment of his imagination!We actually saw the SAs on the two coach segments more than the SCAs

(MTZ-PDX/FTW-SAS)The other exception was on the EB where a couple of the diner attendants became ill and our SCA

helped out in the diner for meals and the wine tasting!First time I ever saw that!

Yes, Jim, the SCA is required to keep those things in his/her room. In part because there is really no other good place for it, in part because they are responsible for it. My guess is that most simply put down the upper bunk when they're ready to go to be and move the supplies up top, while sleeping down below. Perhaps some just sleep up top, but I suspect that they are in a minority.

Interestingly that requirement to keep those supplies in their room is also a bone of contention with many of the SCA's. Even though most passengers would never, ever consider walking into anyone's room (much less the attendant's room), Amtrak for some odd reason requires that the SCA's keep their rooms unlocked. The rest of the crew, diner, coach, cafe, can lock their doors in the crew dorm making the playing field unlevel.

I'm not sure just how often it happens, but this policy created a problem on one of the legs of my big trip last month, when my sleeping car attendant's very expensive sun glasses went missing. Needless to say the poor man was not very happy that someone decided to help themselves to his sun glasses. He had his suspicions as to just who had helped themselves to those glasses, and frankly I tend to agree that he was probably correct, but there was also nothing that he could do since you can't walk around accusing people.

And on several trips that I've taken, I've seen SCA's help out in the diner. I had that happen on a CZ trip a few years ago, and on both the EB and the CS on this last trip, the SCA's helped out with the wine tastings. I suspect that they are required to help with the wine tastings, but I'm not positive. Helping out in the dining car IMHO is above and beyond the call of duty.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Perhaps, just maybe, seeing as they could be away from home for 5 or 6 days, then they might like their own space to sleep in rather than share with someone?

I don't disagree. I wasn't saying that they do. I'm merely saying Alan's suggestion that the capacity makes it impossible is fatuous.

SCAs usually come around and tell you things like Im not getting paid after 10PM so when do you want your bed put down etc. I seldom saw a SCA after 10PM.

That is simply not true. They are paid bumper-to-bumper, and if one of them pulled that on me when I actually felt what I wanted was reasonable, I'd be reading them the riot act about it, too- and reporting them. I usually try to work with them. I know they don't get much sleep at night, and I make a point to try to not put demands on them that decrease it. They are guarenteed 4 hours sitting in their room undisturbed, which is quite different then 4 hours asleep.

My response to them if I was in a good and polite mood- I have a nasty temper so that probably wouldn't be the case, but I rarely put myself in this position partially for that reason - "Dude, I have friends who work as TAS and other OBS crew, and I know that isn't true. If you are planning to sleep during that time, perhaps you could send the TAS from the next car over to do it for me when I'm ready?" If that doesn't work, don't tip them and report them.

Really, I don't mind them saying to me, "I really don't get much sleep because of station stops and so on, and I was really planning on sleeping then- do you mind if I put it down for you a bit earlier?" But outright lying? I have no tolerance for it.

 

[had8ley]

Interestingly that requirement to keep those supplies in their room is also a bone of contention with many of the SCA's. Even though most passengers would never, ever consider walking into anyone's room (much less the attendant's room), Amtrak for some odd reason requires that the SCA's keep their rooms unlocked. The rest of the crew, diner, coach, cafe, can lock their doors in the crew dorm making the playing field unlevel.

Alan; Just a guess but if the SCA is working a revenue car then maybe an emergency might arise as to the necessity of awakening him/her. I've seen LSA's shake SA's in the diner and barely be able to wake them up. Can you imagine the law suit if the SCA's door is locked and there is no response? When the rest of the crew goes to the trans-dorm their duties are over. Theoretically, the sleeping car attendant duties never end as long as he is present.

 

[njulian]

Interestingly that requirement to keep those supplies in their room is also a bone of contention with many of the SCA's. Even though most passengers would never, ever consider walking into anyone's room (much less the attendant's room), Amtrak for some odd reason requires that the SCA's keep their rooms unlocked. The rest of the crew, diner, coach, cafe, can lock their doors in the crew dorm making the playing field unlevel.

Alan; Just a guess but if the SCA is working a revenue car then maybe an emergency might arise as to the necessity of awakening him/her. I've seen LSA's shake SA's in the diner and barely be able to wake them up. Can you imagine the law suit if the SCA's door is locked and there is no response? When the rest of the crew goes to the trans-dorm their duties are over. Theoretically, the sleeping car attendant duties never end as long as he is present.

wait..they have wine???

 

[had8ley]

Interestingly that requirement to keep those supplies in their room is also a bone of contention with many of the SCA's. Even though most passengers would never, ever consider walking into anyone's room (much less the attendant's room), Amtrak for some odd reason requires that the SCA's keep their rooms unlocked. The rest of the crew, diner, coach, cafe, can lock their doors in the crew dorm making the playing field unlevel.

Alan; Just a guess but if the SCA is working a revenue car then maybe an emergency might arise as to the necessity of awakening him/her. I've seen LSA's shake SA's in the diner and barely be able to wake them up. Can you imagine the law suit if the SCA's door is locked and there is no response? When the rest of the crew goes to the trans-dorm their duties are over. Theoretically, the sleeping car attendant duties never end as long as he is present.

wait..they have wine???

No...just taking a break between meals sitting in one of the booths.

 

[Bob Dylan]

The wine was for the pax(hopefully!LOL)but only on the CS and the EB!I appreciate the feedback from the pros re SCAs

duties since what I reported about not getting paid after 10PM actually happened on the EB and the disappearing act seems to be a specialty on the CONO!I dont understand why the SCAs room cant be locked either??When SCA are extremely busy I dont mind putting the beds up or down since I know how but the SCA should @ least ask IMHO!

 

[Allan]

ok people, welcoming me with a 20 replies is great, but 17 of them are you guys arguing back and forth about shift hours and where a worker sleeps... its over already, all i wanted to know was what to expect in an 19 hour roomette, thank you to those who replied...

 

[AlanB]

Interestingly that requirement to keep those supplies in their room is also a bone of contention with many of the SCA's. Even though most passengers would never, ever consider walking into anyone's room (much less the attendant's room), Amtrak for some odd reason requires that the SCA's keep their rooms unlocked. The rest of the crew, diner, coach, cafe, can lock their doors in the crew dorm making the playing field unlevel.

Alan; Just a guess but if the SCA is working a revenue car then maybe an emergency might arise as to the necessity of awakening him/her. I've seen LSA's shake SA's in the diner and barely be able to wake them up. Can you imagine the law suit if the SCA's door is locked and there is no response? When the rest of the crew goes to the trans-dorm their duties are over. Theoretically, the sleeping car attendant duties never end as long as he is present.

Jay,

You missunderstood what I was saying. I'm not talking about the attendant being able to lock their room when they are inside the room, in fact they can still do that. Their room locks when one is inside the room just like every other room in the car.

What I'm talking about is that the attendant cannot lock their room from the outside, when they are not in the room, like the rest of the crew can in the Trans/Dorm.

 

[njulian]

ok people, welcoming me with a 20 replies is great, but 17 of them are you guys arguing back and forth about shift hours and where a worker sleeps... its over already, all i wanted to know was what to expect in an 19 hour roomette, thank you to those who replied...

OK..I will say that a roomette is very nice for one, but I found it not so good for two. The chairs face each other VERY closely and you can't stretch out unless you angle awway from the other person. Plus the second person has to ride backwards. I really liked the all day coffee and juice and water and our attendant had ice, although I think there is some issues with ice and some say it's ok and some say they aren't supposed to provide it. I have never had any sort of motion sickness on a train. I find the seats quite comfortable (even in coach, the long distance seats are great with lots of leg room, pointing out even more how sucky flying is). As most people who've traveled trains will say, Pack Your Patience, because there can be long and unexplained delays. Recently though, I've found my trips to be right on time and even a little early.

I am guessing the attendant has wine to serve the passengers? I didn't know they did that. But you can also have your own wine in your compartment, so don't worry about bringing it along. Also, a little role of duct tape can be helpful for rattley things (minimus.biz has great travel items.)

I wish the gov't would fund trains better..they are a great way to travel.

 

[AlanB]

I really liked the all day coffee and juice and water and our attendant had ice, although I think there is some issues with ice and some say it's ok and some say they aren't supposed to provide it.

There are indeed health issues with ice being left accessible to the passengers, since too many passengers just drop the scoop back into the ice, instead of ensuring that the handle of the scoop stays out of the ice so as to prevent spreading germs. Therefore the recent policy change dictates that the attendant is to secure the ice in their room and provide it to the passengers upon request.

Any attendant telling you that they aren't supposed to provide ice is incorrect. Is it possible that they've run out of ice? Sure. It can happen. But they do get restocked during the trip, and again anyone telling you that they aren't supposed to provide ice is wrong.

I am guessing the attendant has wine to serve the passengers? I didn't know they did that. But you can also have your own wine in your compartment, so don't worry about bringing it along.

The attendants do no have wine to serve to the passengers as a general rule. If you are riding either the Coast Starlight or the Empire Builder, those two trains offer a wine tasting to sleeping car passengers which the attendants help to run. Additionally both trains provide a complimentary bottle of champagne upon boarding. Sparkling cider is also available as an alternative to those who don't want and can't have champagne.

Finally, the LSL out of Chicago has a wine and cheese party in the Diner-Lite car prior to the departure from Chicago. That however is run by the dining car attendants, not the sleeping car attendants.

Beyond the above, sleeping car attendants don't serve wine to their passengers unless you are buying it and have requested room service from the dining car.