Getting to the pier via Amtrak

[TinCan782]

Yep, I'm a west coast train traveler...

 

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[Barb Nahoumi]

I like train travel, and would do it in a heartbeat. Next month we're taking Amtrak from Boston to New Jersey, the day before our cruise.

[Barb Nahoumi]

We would do the same thing. Amtrak down the East coast to Tampa, then after the cruise take airfare back to the Northeast.

 

Has anyone had issues with getting their luggage on the trains? I understand there is a "baggage car"...Not sure if that means once the bags are in there, they become inaccessible?

 

Winter travel does make me slightly nervous...But it is what it is, no matter what. I figure if anything, giving me 2 days to get to the port (leave Friday morning for a Sunday embarkation) will help us get to the port on time if there are any delays.

 

You can ask for Red Cap Service to get the luggage on board, and off again at your stop.

[PCLMassachusetts]

Sounds like fun, but definitely not a money saver. Just tried a dummy booking from Providence to Orlando. It would be over $400 per person one way. Can fly for half that price.

[CTCruiser001]

Sounds like fun, but definitely not a money saver. Just tried a dummy booking from Providence to Orlando. It would be over $400 per person one way. Can fly for half that price.

 

From NYC to Tampa it is $270 for the both of us. About the same of what airfare will be if we book flights one way when the flight schedules are released - Maybe a little cheaper. But I still think there is something to be said for the adventure of rail travel. :)

[flexsmom]

I did a family sleeper with my 2 kids from Chicago to Seattle to connect for our Alaska cruise. It was 2 nights and a great new experience for all of us. Played lots of cards and enjoyed the scenery! We packed one bag to keep with us in the sleeper for train clothes, shower toiletries, and pjs. The rest of our bags went into the baggage car with no access. The good was pretty decent and we met some long-time train-only travelers - fun conversations! The sleeper room was a must - so glad to have had an actual bed. It was a great adventure!

[silvercrikhix]

Another opinion here. This was DH and my take on it:

 

Ah, the allure of train travel...adventure, romance & scenery.

We took a train from Minnesota to Seattle for an Alaska cruise.

It was something like 35 hrs.

We got the best sleeper they have with the Shoilet (toilet & shower).

No bedbugs.

 

We absolutely HATED it :mad: & I honestly kissed the ground in Seattle!

The services advertised were basically non-existent, as the staff is run ragged and are mostly a surly lot :(.

The dining car ladies were b******, and our room steward was nice but ran around with sweat running down him & had no time to provide squat.

 

Although we were lucky enough to arrive on time, this was only accomplished by taking away half of the opportunities to get off for a break and shortening the couple we got to 10-15 minutes instead of 20-30 :(.

The sleepers actually have very very little room, truthfully.

If you ride coach, only carry on what you want to haul around...beware of theft in that section.

 

DH scraped his head on the rough carpet ceiling trying to get into the upper bunk. The upper bunk ladder fell from the wall it was leaning against and hit him in the forehead. We both had bruises, cuts and scrapes. We looked like we'd been in a war...according to our friends who saw us off at train and flew in to Seattle a few days later.

 

For the record, we did complain, something we would nearly never do. They gave us a $300 Amtrak Gift Certificate....LOL...we let it expire its year away.

We paid around $1,500 bucks for this one way trip....which would be okay if it was like it should have been.

Everyone's mileage may vary...our trip was a huge misadventure.

[CTCruiser001]

silver,

 

Thank you for sharing your experiences. I'll keep it in mind when we decide what we want to do.

[Redheel Girl]

I love taking a Train to a Cruise. I have done it many times and I am now Booked for NCL Jewel in October out of Houston. This is a 35 hour two nights. It is worth it to me to book a Bedroom with Bath. It is not cheap you can fly much cheaper but it is a wonderful experience. I do not like to fly and have taken the "Coast Starlight" out of LA to Seattle many times because it has a "Parlor Car" ( 1940,s Plush Car) where you meet many Cruisers. The Advice to arrive a day or more before the Cruise is smart. If something should happen to stop the Train they will bring in Buses and get you to your destination....There is a discount connected with NCL but no one at Amtrac seems to know it. If you can get the discount information for your TA or Bookingit yourself you will be better off. I have never been able to get the discount before but this time my TA found out that with the AAA senior discount it was more. The one perk for being a Senior. If you have a Bedroom or a Bedette your Attendant can bring your Meals to your Compartment. I love setting in my Bed and watching the countryside roll by.:D

[Crusin6]

Not afraid to fly...Just looking for an adventure! :D

 

I agree. The only way I ever do Amtrak is for the adventure of it all. Lol

[Redheel Girl]

TINCAN782.... You are two up on me. Have not done the Fillmore Train or the Texas Eagle!!! I go to Ventura once a month sometimes using Hwy 126. This Amtrak trip to Houston will be the first time to use the "Metropolitan Lounge! Love the Traxx Club! What can you tell me about the "Sunset Limited"!!!!

[TinCan782]

TINCAN782.... You are two up on me. Have not done the Fillmore Train or the Texas Eagle!!! I go to Ventura once a month sometimes using Hwy 126. This Amtrak trip to Houston will be the first time to use the "Metropolitan Lounge! Love the Traxx Club! What can you tell me about the "Sunset Limited"!!!!

 

Redheel...can't figure out how to PM so guess I'll just reply via this thread. We have done the Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle from Los Angeles to Temple, TX, round trip, twice. Both trips we were in the Texas Eagle sleeper car which is switched, along with a coach, from the SL to the TE in San Antonio. Although not as scenic as other E-W routes, we enjoyed it. In El Paso, there is a local lady who comes trackside and sells burritos which are quite popular. The Metropolitan Lounge at LA Union Station was not yet open on our last trip. Looking forward to it on our next!

Edited February 22, 2014 by TinCan782

[bobg529]

silver,

 

Thank you for sharing your experiences. I'll keep it in mind when we decide what we want to do.

 

 

I wouldn't worry too much about silvers review. You can get a good idea of what the roomette is like by looking at some of the many videos available on YouTube. There is room for SOME luggage in the roomette in an overhead area. It runs out into the ceiling in the hallway. It's shown in some of the video reviews. The food in the dining car is very good and three meals a day come free with a room. As to long trips, I took the Lake Shore Limited from NYC to Chicago a few years ago traveling coach and I really enjoyed it. That was 25 hours. Your thread actually got me to thinking about it all again. So much so that yesterday I booked the Sun cruise out of Tampa on Thanksgiving week! I could only get the discount traveling to Tampa as the return trip is on a blackout day, but Amtrak gave me a AAA discount for the return journey. I'm doing the roomette this time and my round trip cost me 649. Since it's Thanksgiving week the plane would have only been about 150 cheaper so what the heck I will enjoy the adventure as you suggest. By the way I'm going down on Friday too and will get in the day before we sail just to be on the safe side. :D

[TinCan782]

A good resource related to Amtrak travel is the discussion forums at Amtrak Unlimited... http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/

[CTCruiser001]

Your thread actually got me to thinking about it all again. So much so that yesterday I booked the Sun cruise out of Tampa on Thanksgiving week! :D

 

Glad to hear this...Have a great adventure! :D

[silvercrikhix]

I wouldn't worry too much about silvers review. You can get a good idea of what the roomette is like by looking at some of the many videos available on YouTube. There is room for SOME luggage in the roomette in an overhead area. It runs out into the ceiling in the hallway. It's shown in some of the video reviews. The food in the dining car is very good and three meals a day come free with a room. As to long trips, I took the Lake Shore Limited from NYC to Chicago a few years ago traveling coach and I really enjoyed it. That was 25 hours. Your thread actually got me to thinking about it all again. So much so that yesterday I booked the Sun cruise out of Tampa on Thanksgiving week! I could only get the discount traveling to Tampa as the return trip is on a blackout day, but Amtrak gave me a AAA discount for the return journey. I'm doing the roomette this time and my round trip cost me 649. Since it's Thanksgiving week the plane would have only been about 150 cheaper so what the heck I will enjoy the adventure as you suggest. By the way I'm going down on Friday too and will get in the day before we sail just to be on the safe side. :D

 

What the heck....are you for real?

To tell an OP to disregard someone else's experience because it differs from yours?

Buzz off buzzard.......

 

Enjoy it whatever you decide, OP :)

Edited February 22, 2014 by silvercrikhix

[bobg529]

What the heck....are you for real?

To tell an OP to disregard someone else's experience because it differs from yours?

Buzz off buzzard.......

 

Enjoy it whatever you decide, OP :)

 

I do not doubt that your experience was a negative one for YOU, seeing that your review was SO negative. I was simply trying to counterbalance it with a positive one. As you yourself put it: "Everyone's mileage may vary...".

 

I hope you enjoy your future journey's. :)

[callolin]

Glad to hear this...Have a great adventure! :D

 

Taking a Amtrak train to Miami in November. I leave on a Friday from Richmond and get to Miami on a Saturday. My cruise is on Sunday so I think that I am covered there. Looking forward to the train also.

[bguppies]

Have taken Amtrak between here in Charleston, SC and NYC quite a few times, between DW traveling up there frequently for business and me heading up for a weekend seeing the sites, with the hotel paid for by DW's work.

 

It is extraordinarily hit or miss with Amtrak.

 

I did the trip up and back twice and that was enough for me.

 

One trip up was decent, while the other 3 legs were poor to close to unbearable.

 

DW did the trip a couple more times, and this year when she had to go to NYC for two weeks in Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. she chose to rent a car and drive after the Amtrak trips last year.

I flew up twice those months, each time for less than the Amtrak trip.

 

Like silvercrikhix said.

I don't think on any trip (we traveled coach, business class once and sleeper once) did we get the amenities promised in the ticket contract.

The food car was opened incredibly sporadically. (so the 24 hour service and free food and drink when included was useless.)

 

And like already stated, the workers who were working were completely overworked and surly most of the time.

Then the other half just seemed to stand around chatting with each other and doing nothing.

 

One trip, we got on in Charleston, where it was like mid 60's in January.

Apparently they had turned on the heat before leaving Florida and it was mid 80's on the packed train. (sadly we were coach for this trip)

Everybody was sweating like pigs and no one could sleep. (we got on about 10PM)

The conductors said they couldn't adjust the heat until we got to Washington DC many hours later. (6-8-10 I forget. Felt like 24 hours)

 

By the time we get north to DC the temp has dropped outside to the 40's and they cut the heat off, when it finally started to feel comfortable and we froze the rest of the way to NYC. (I would think the conductors could tell it had finally regulated, but they seemed to not care or maybe wanted to stick it to everybody who complained from Florida to North Carolina.)

 

The one time we did the sleeper car, it was nice to have our own space, but for two of us, it was very tiny and claustrophobic and the whole shower/toilet thing was just weird.

 

The only trip I enjoyed at all, was the one we did in Business class.

More room to stretch out and was not even 25% full when we left NYC.

 

If you are determined to take the train, I would highly recommend paying the extra for business class.

After taking all 3 classes of seat, I will never take another train without being in Business class.

 

Also the east coast trains (at least south of NYC) are nowhere near as nice as the trains I've taken from Chicago and from California.

They were bigger and seemed to be much newer.

 

Bill

Edited February 23, 2014 by bguppies

[CaboWabo62]

We are planning Alaska cruise out of Seattle.

Considering Amtrak from Oregon city to Seattle. (train station is 10 minutes from our home). Amtrak does not offer checked baggage from Oregon city.

Portland station offers checked bags just bigger hassle for drop off and pick up.

Is it worth the the trouble to carry our own baggage and is there adequate storage space on the train.

Seats available are Business class or coach.

[bobg529]

We are planning Alaska cruise out of Seattle.

Considering Amtrak from Oregon city to Seattle. (train station is 10 minutes from our home). Amtrak does not offer checked baggage from Oregon city.

Portland station offers checked bags just bigger hassle for drop off and pick up.

Is it worth the the trouble to carry our own baggage and is there adequate storage space on the train.

Seats available are Business class or coach.

 

Amtrak DOES offer checked baggage on the Amtrak Cascades line that runs on this route. In addition the carry on area can typically fit up to a 28" case and a carry on bag per person in business class. These seats are more expensive than coach but also much more comfortable.

[Azdad3]

Husband and I had almost identical experience as you on a Tucson to Missouri Train trip, We loved the trip, but make sure you go with at least a day ahead if not more. Schedules are not as they say. Service staff were very surly ....train travel would be a lovely experience with some major overhauls. We also let our credit expire...

So totally could understand your review.

 

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[TinCan782]

Amtrak DOES offer checked baggage on the Amtrak Cascades line that runs on this route. In addition the carry on area can typically fit up to a 28" case and a carry on bag per person in business class. These seats are more expensive than coach but also much more comfortable.

 

In CaboWabo's situation, that particular station (Oregon City) does NOT offer "checked baggage" service.

 

I've had no experience with the Cascades but, on the Pacific Surfliner, you would probably be ok. I've seen families on the Surfliner to San Diego with all of their baggage (which was not checked) headed to a cruise.

Edited February 23, 2014 by TinCan782

[CaboWabo62]

Thanks everybody :D

Does Amtrak have any restrictions or limits on carry on luggage? (size/quantity)

[TinCan782]

Thanks everybody :D

Does Amtrak have any restrictions or limits on carry on luggage? (size/quantity)

 

You'll fine the "Baggage Policy" and other info here...

http://www.amtrak.com/train-travel-plan

 

Regarding carryon, it appears to be loosely enforced...no one running around with a tape measure, etc.