Amtrak to your cruise??

[ElvisandTracey]

Has anyone taken the train instead of a plane to your cruise port?? I am thinking of doing so next April, Amtrak from Los Angeles to Houston, then a quick bus to Galveston for the ship. I would be getting a sleeper car for myself, DH and 2 kids. Has anyone ever done something like this, and if so, how did it go?

[cruzobsessed]

we took amtrak new york to miami for our 1st cruise because my husband refused to fly.:mad: we got 2 sleeper cars. i slept in one with my then 12 year old son and my husband shared 1 with our other son then 14.

here's the thing. just because it's a sleeper car don't over imagine the accomodations. they were tiny. it is basically bunk beds with a toilet seat and a very small t.v.

after the fact we learned that there was a better room. it was like a "family car". check into that one.

the food was excellent and going there because we were so excited about the cruise it was fine (psychologically) but coming home afterward with nothing to look forward to....it was sort of a drag:o

all i can say is....thank goodness we're flying now:D

[ElvisandTracey]

we took amtrak new york to miami for our 1st cruise because my husband refused to fly.:mad: we got 2 sleeper cars. i slept in one with my then 12 year old son and my husband shared 1 with our other son then 14.

 

here's the thing. just because it's a sleeper car don't over imagine the accomodations. they were tiny. it is basically bunk beds with a toilet seat and a very small t.v.

 

after the fact we learned that there was a better room. it was like a "family car". check into that one.

 

the food was excellent and going there because we were so excited about the cruise it was fine (psychologically) but coming home afterward with nothing to look forward to....it was sort of a drag:o

 

all i can say is....thank goodness we're flying now:D

 

 

The family sleeper car sleeps 4- it has 2 sets of bunk beds, a toliet and private shower. But is isn't cheap, at all!! I am trying to find out if there are activities on the train, or is it boring. I would be going with a 3 and 10 year old (boys) and I too hate to fly, so I am trying to get as much feedback as I can from those who have actually done it. Thanks.

[Autumnrose]

The family sleeper car sleeps 4- it has 2 sets of bunk beds, a toliet and private shower. But is isn't cheap, at all!! I am trying to find out if there are activities on the train, or is it boring. I would be going with a 3 and 10 year old (boys) and I too hate to fly, so I am trying to get as much feedback as I can from those who have actually done it. Thanks.

 

I used to work for AMTRAK so if you have questions ask away!:D Not much to do on the train. In the observation car they do show movies but mostly cartoons during the day.

 

Be aware if you are thinking of taking a train that is to arrive one the day of your cruise that the trains do tend to run late at times.

[ElvisandTracey]

I used to work for AMTRAK so if you have questions ask away!:D Not much to do on the train. In the observation car they do show movies but mostly cartoons during the day.

 

Be aware if you are thinking of taking a train that is to arrive one the day of your cruise that the trains do tend to run late at times.

 

Oh, an Amtrak person, great: here goes:

 

1. I can't seem to find out exactly what days of the week the Sunset Limited leaves LA-I tried on line but that schedule is so confusing. Basically it leaves 3 days per week I think, but I need to know which days so I can figure out what day to leave. The only other option from LA-Houston goes to IL and then a bus-no thanks. So I really need to know what days I can leave from LA on the Sunset.

 

2. If I get a family sleeping car, what is included. Is there a tv? Does tv even come in on a train?? I think meals may be included too, but again, not sure. Are meals just the snack car like on shorter trips, or is there a cafe or dining car??

 

3. Do they check bags, or are all the bags in the room with you. If they are checked, do you have access to them durng the trip?

 

4. I have only taken short trips on Amtrak-LA-SD-what can I expect on a longer trip?

 

Thanks so much for helping out!!:D :D

[negc]

My wife's cousin, who lives just south of Boston, is afraid to fly and always takes Amtrak when they cruise out of Miami. When she travels she has to go to South Station the day before her train leaves to drop off her luggage. Her trip takes a minimum of 27 hours and is frequently late. On occasion, when track work was being done, she has had to get off the train and onto a bus which took them to another location where she connected with another train to take her to her destination. And then, after a relaxing cruise she faces another 27 + hour ride home and has to go back into Boston the day after she arrives home to reclaim her luggage. After each trip she insists that the next time, she will fly, but when that time comes she ends up booking the train. To add insult to injury, IMHO, the price is usually as much or more than it would cost her to fly. It is an awful testimony to the power that irrational fear can exert on someone. :rolleyes:

[zephyr17]

I used to work for AMTRAK so if you have questions ask away!:D Not much to do on the train. In the observation car they do show movies but mostly cartoons during the day.

 

Be aware if you are thinking of taking a train that is to arrive one the day of your cruise that the trains do tend to run late at times.

 

I am a railfan and ride Amtrak a lot, including many times on all the western long distance trains. I have logged well over 100,000 miles on Amtrak and I monitor major rail and Amtrak related BBS's. I have a major warning.

 

The train from LA to Houston, train 2, the Sunset Limited, has notoriously bad timekeeping problems. It is not unusual at all to be 8 or more hours late. If you plan on taking the train, you need to be sure you are scheduled to arrive at least a day before your cruise. Note that the timekeeping issue is not under Amtrak's control, as it uses a very busy Union Pacific line, and Union Pacific does not generally handle Amtrak at all well. If you were going to from LA to Chicago on the Southwest Chief, which uses BNSF, timekeeping would not be an issue. But it is a major issue on all trains that use the UP.

 

The Sunset also only runs 3 days a week. Don't let that tempt you into not allowing the necessary slack time in Houston.

 

The movies were removed from all the trains as of the October 2006 timetable change.

 

I rode the Sunset a few years ago, and it was one of the best trips I ever had on Amtrak, the crew was phenomenal that time. However, if you have never ridden a long distance train before, I don't think this is the one to start out with.

 

The Superliner rooms type are:

-Roomette, which sleeps 2 in bunk bed style. It has no toilet or shower, but they are available in the car. It is very small 3' x 6'

 

-Family room has 2 full size beds, and 2 smaller beds. It is quite a bit bigger, taking the entire width of the car. The family room does not have private toilets or showers, but it is very close to the common ones downstairs.-

 

-Bedroom is not quite as big as the family room, it has 2 beds, but has enough room for kids to bunk in the fairly big lower, and has room on the floor. The Bedroom has private toilet and shower facilities.

 

-Handicapped room, which sleeps two with some room and does have private toilet facilities but is held for those with disabilities and is generally not available for general sale until only a couple of weeks before departure.

[CruisinMommas]

I have taken long distance trains 4 times. The auto train, the train from Phila to MIA, PHL to Orlando and PHL to FT. Lauderdale. I do not fly.

Your Meals are regular Meals and tasty. Depending on what time you get on the train determines how many meals you get. Meals are included with the rooms. My dh and I have traveled in a bedroom,1 roomette and 2 roomettes. You can go to Amtrak site and make out a pretend trip just like you would do for a cruise. You can work it several ways.

I take a portable dvd with dvd's. For the two of us sometimes it is cheaper to get two roomettes than a bedroom. The bedroom has a small private toilet with a shower.The roomettes depends on the train where the bathroom is located

The train gets held up so we always come down the day before the ship leaves.

You can bring on a carry on with you, there is not much room for more. Everything else is checked. Your luggage is weighed so bags can weigh no more tha 50 pounds. You are entitled to check 3 bags each.

I am planning to do PHL to CA and PHL to Seattle or Vancouver in the near future. It is a long trip but not that bad because certain stops have become familar and I look for them.

[cocoabeana]

negc, I can relate to your wifes cousin. I to refuse to fly I am petrified. I have taken the train from Providence to Miami about 4 times. It really isn't a great experience. After you are on the train about 4 hours the bathrooms are so disgusting that you hate to even go in them. If I manage to come up with the money I would definately get a sleeper car. I go by myself and my H and family fly down. It does cost just as much or even more than flying, that drives me nuts.

Anyway, the past couple of years I have driven down by myself. I find it better than the train and alot cheaper. Usually someone will drive with me and split the expenses.

If you can afford the sleeper car it isn't that bad, but sitting in coach for 27 hours is pure hell.

Sue

[zephyr17]

Oh, an Amtrak person, great: here goes:

 

1. I can't seem to find out exactly what days of the week the Sunset Limited leaves LA-I tried on line but that schedule is so confusing. Basically it leaves 3 days per week I think, but I need to know which days so I can figure out what day to leave. The only other option from LA-Houston goes to IL and then a bus-no thanks. So I really need to know what days I can leave from LA on the Sunset.

 

2. If I get a family sleeping car, what is included. Is there a tv? Does tv even come in on a train?? I think meals may be included too, but again, not sure. Are meals just the snack car like on shorter trips, or is there a cafe or dining car??

 

3. Do they check bags, or are all the bags in the room with you. If they are checked, do you have access to them durng the trip?

 

4. I have only taken short trips on Amtrak-LA-SD-what can I expect on a longer trip?

 

Thanks so much for helping out!!:D :D

 

1. Sunset Limited leaves LA on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday at 2:30 pm and is scheduled to arrive Houston Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday at 5:45 am. Or sometime Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. It is never on time or close to it. The schedule can be found at http://www.amtrak.com/timetable/apr07/P01.pdf

 

2. All meals for sleeping car passengers are included. If your party is less than 4 people, you will share your table with other travelers. There is no TV in the room. There are TVs for movies in the lounge car, but they stopped showing movies as of October 2006.

 

3. You can check bags between LA and Houston. You can stow bags both in your room (not much room) and in a common luggage area in your car if you decide not to check.

 

4. Take reading and entertainment material. There are NPS lectures on the Sunset on some trips which are described in the timetable on the above link. The Sunset doesn't have the most dramatic scenery, but it is pleasant enough. People on long distance trains are friendly and talkative. It can be very relaxing if you allow it to be, the pace is very different.

[CruisinMommas]

There is a light difference in the rooms on the trains that run on the eastcoast and the ones coming from the west.

There is the Superliner and the Viewliner The autotrain is similar to the trains from the west and their toilets are in the car as opposed to in the roomette as the Silver liners.

The attendants are very helpful. You get bottled water and juice on this end of the continent.

I hope you are able to make a decision that makes you happy.

[zephyr17]

negc, I can relate to your wifes cousin. I to refuse to fly I am petrified. I have taken the train from Providence to Miami about 4 times. It really isn't a great experience. After you are on the train about 4 hours the bathrooms are so disgusting that you hate to even go in them. If I manage to come up with the money I would definately get a sleeper car. I go by myself and my H and family fly down. It does cost just as much or even more than flying, that drives me nuts.

Anyway, the past couple of years I have driven down by myself. I find it better than the train and alot cheaper. Usually someone will drive with me and split the expenses.

If you can afford the sleeper car it isn't that bad, but sitting in coach for 27 hours is pure hell.

Sue

 

I would not recomment sitting up at all. The common bathrooms in the sleeping cars tend to be a lot better kept than the coaches. There are fewer people using them, and there is an attendant in the car who usually keeps up with them pretty well.

[CruisinMommas]

negc, I can relate to your wifes cousin. I to refuse to fly I am petrified. I have taken the train from Providence to Miami about 4 times. It really isn't a great experience. After you are on the train about 4 hours the bathrooms are so disgusting that you hate to even go in them. If I manage to come up with the money I would definately get a sleeper car. I go by myself and my H and family fly down. It does cost just as much or even more than flying, that drives me nuts.

Anyway, the past couple of years I have driven down by myself. I find it better than the train and alot cheaper. Usually someone will drive with me and split the expenses.

If you can afford the sleeper car it isn't that bad, but sitting in coach for 27 hours is pure hell.

Sue

I would agree being in coach for that long would be very unpleasant . We were in a room and our friends in coach and their experiences were quite different. They will never take a long distance again for the reasons from the quote above.

[ElvisandTracey]

Wow, thank you everyone for all the great and specific information. It looks like everyone agrees that :

 

1. I need to leave early as the trains are late.

 

2. I need a sleeper car.

 

3. It's way cheaper to fly.

 

I am not considering the train due to fear of flying (I hate it, but I do it) I am trying to avoid 5-6 hours on a plane with my 2 year old-the train takes way longer, but he loves train and the freedom to move around and see things.

 

He's a devil on a flight-we took him to Hawaii and that was 5 hours of a nightmare!! I have always wanted to take a long train trip, I just don't know if I should do it with or without the kids.

 

Thank you all for answering all my questions. Now the main issue is the cost-for the family bedroom for 4, it's amazingly expensive. And I would not consider doing it without the bedroom.

 

I guess I have a lot of thinking to do.:eek: :D

 

Thanks.

[CruisinMommas]

Happy Choosing, happy sailing. I am sure you will have some answers I need for next year as soon as they come up.

[mollyeilis]

When considering the expense, you HAVE TO remember that delicious meals are included. I'm vegetarian, and I was pregnant on my long trip with tons of food aversions (could just THINK of something gross-to-me and my meal would be ruined, and we won't even talk about all the normal smells that were absolute poison to me), so for me to say the food was delicious, it was OVER THE TOP good.

 

As a sleeper car traveler, you are considered First Class. If there's a first class lounge, it's open to you. My trip, from Seattle to San Jose (and back), did have movies in the evening, but maybe that's no more (I traveled in '04). On the way down I was in the smallest sleeping car, and I was miserable. 7 months pregnant, I could stand up in the night and the back of my knees were against the bed, while my belly hit the door. I had to do this, while pulling on my jeans, many times that night, for bathroom trips.

 

I didn't find the bathrooms to be awful at all. Just small.

 

On the way back, my dad managed to finagle an otherwise-not-being-used handicap room for me, b/c in a SMALL way, I was a bit disabled on that trip. My knee joints were almost blown by the hormones, I had a pathological need for potty breaks, and so on. It wasn't being used, and he talked and switched reps until he got someone who had had a rough pregnancy, and she put me in the room. I can only imagine that it's somewhat similar to the family rooms, b/c it was bigger and there was a bathroom inside. From the two experiences, assuming the bigger rooms are similar, I would HIGHLY recommend the family-type room.

 

 

 

Amtrak is, indeed, notoriously late. But the routes I have been on (Seattle to San Jose, and Seattle to Vancouver BC) are absolutely GORGEOUS. I mean, sure, sometimes you're stuck in the Seattle switchyard for an hour, 10 minutes after you leave the station, and that's not gorgeous, but it's better than being stuck in a small car on the highway!!! :p

 

You don't have to stop the car to take bathroom or food breaks, that's another bonus. :)

 

 

 

So anyway, we took the train up to BC for our honeymoon cruise. Sure, we had to get up really early, and b/c we didn't want to inconvenience our friends or waste a ton of money on a cab, we took the Metro bus up to the station (interesting way to start a honeymoon- we felt so, so, weird but good about taking transit) VERY early in the morning. But we had a lovely stress-free trip up north, we watched the fools sitting at the border waiting to cross as we zoomed right past the border crossing, going through customs at the station was easy, etc. And it was a nice way to end the trip, too.

 

I highly recommend Amtrak.

 

don't forget, if you have AAA and you're booking in advance, you can get a 10% discount. And you can join the Amtrak rewards program.

[RoofingPrincess]

Tracey,

I've taken long trips on Amtrak several times with my son - a big train fan - but our earliest one was when he was 6 (actually, he celebrated his birthday on the train!) - that one was CT to FL.

When he was in his early double-digits, we did a 2-week trip, flew to San Diego, then train up the coast through LA to Portland (I think it was called the Coastal Starlight), then another train (the Empire Builder) across the top of the country, got out in Milwaukee to spend a few days with the family, then a quickie train Milw-Chicago, then the Lake Shore Limited Chicago-NY.

Summer of 05 we went CT to DC to Chicago to New Orleans (riding on The City of New Orleans!) to NY to CT in a week.

On each of these trips we had at least a sleeper, and after that last trip, if I ever do it again it will be nothing less than a deluxe sleeper since the regular sleeper is very small and so are the beds. Even in the deluxe, their so-called full-size bed is smaller than mine at home, and my son said the twins were narrower than his bed as well. Our regular sleeper had its own bathroom (toilet and a flip-down sink, one of us had to step out into the hall to give the other the privacy to use it) and the deluxe had an enclosed toilet/shower much like in an RV.

Not much room in the sleeper for anything more than a small bag apiece, and you can't get at your checked luggage until you reach your destination. I don't know how comfortable I'd feel leaving my luggage in a common area.

If you're a light sleeper, like me, you will not get a good night's sleep on the train. There are stops in the middle of the night and the train does blow its whistle as required at various crossings.

You're right, going by Amtrak is not cheap, in fact it was more expensive than flying. But my son really likes trains, so I did it for him. Some of the scenery was fantastic, especially on our cross-country trip, but in and near cities you generally go through the absolute worst part of town.

There isn't much to do on the train and not a whole lot to keep an active 2-year-old occupied. The only advantage of the train over the plane or bus is that you can get up and walk around, go to the observation car, etc. Given the choice, remembering travelling with my son when he was 2, I'd book flights for at least the day before with at least one stop with a long layover - to allow for possible delays so you don't miss your connection, but also to give the little guy a chance to blow off a little steam in the airport. It was only a 2 or 2.5 hour flight from CT to WI when DS was little, but I always booked it thru Pittsburgh, since that broke it up into roughly one hour pieces, which we could pretty much handle.

Either that, or look into the price of a large pet taxi and send the little guy that way :D (JUST KIDDING - but that's what I always told my son I'd do on the next trip to Grandma's if he didn't behave on the airplane this time...)

[ninjababysaunt]

Way back in 1982 I went the Empire Builder from Chicago to North Dakota over the Christmas & New Year's holidays. Went in just a regular seat. Had a wonderful trip.

 

Four years ago I went with a tour group from Chicago to Seattle to continue on an Alaska cruise. Empire Builder this time with a VERY SMALL sleeper. Mind you, I'm claustrophic and panicked when I saw how small the sleepers were. Since I'm only 5 feet tall, there was no way I could possibly climb into the upper berth, so my mom and I had to sleep end for end on the two seat pulled together. Definitely not a comfortable way to sleep for two nights each direction. The weather was so hot when we left Chicago; we weren't even out of the Chicago yards when the engine broke down. Every hour or two the engine broke down. Each and EVERY stop the power was shut off while loading and unloading passengers, so that meant sitting with NO AIR. They changed engines more than four times, then in the middle of nowhere on a trestle way off the ground in Montana, they shut all power off, brought a switch engine in and after at least three hours, pulled with the switch engine. That still didn't solve the problems. And as I saw mentioned in another answer to your question, unless you have one of the "large" sleepers with the private bathroom, you share a teeny weeny toilet with EVERYBODY!!! Very unhealthy! Since my trip four years ago, I have been sick with a bug picked up on Amtrak. The doctor finally diagnosed what it was, but can't explain it to me, and since I'm allergic to sulfur, there is no drug that can kill this disease courtesy of Amtrak. Many times while I am gasping for my next breath, and am thinking many unkind things about Amtrak.

 

Three years ago I thought I'd give Amtrak another try, and went Capitol Limited from Waterloo, Indiana to Washington, DC to take a cruise out of New York City. Once again, I experienced the power shut down at every single stop, meaning once again, NO AIR. And once again, I was sick the whole way.

 

Forgot to mention, both trips on Amtrak were EXTREMELY rough rides. Trying to go between cars was a feat in itself, and I sure wouldn't try it with small children in tow. On more than one occasion I was caught by a door closing before it should have. Also, on the return trip on Empire Builder from Seattle, we were told they had run out of food, then when we debarked in Chicago, saw the dining car workers unloading several pallets of food and beverages that we had been told were not available.

 

My suggestion is "drive" to where you want to get your boat at. That's what I have to do, since I can't fly due to medical reasons.

 

Sorry to have such a long reply, but thought it might open a few eyes as to how Amtrak really is.

[cusyl]

We took Amtrack from Florida to San Diego for our Panama Canal cruise.

We didn't do enough research and reserved a compartment. This is only a small area about the size of a closet with seats that face each other and then at night make into a bed and the 2nd bed pulls down from the ceiling.

The bathroom was down the hall and the shower was downstair with a small circular stairway. I'm a "fluffy" person so was really in tight quarters.

 

The compartments had reservations for the dining room and the food was very good. The only problem was that since the train was running so late they ran out of food and the chef left the train. The engineer called ahead to a restaurant and the train stopped to pick up frozen box lunches. Everyone was starving, so even a frozen ham sandwich tasted good. However, imagine trying to eat an orange on a train. Ridiculous.

 

Amtrack does not own the rails so they had to sit on a side rail and wait anytime a cargo train wanted to pass. That's why the train was running 8 hours late.

[mollyeilis]

....but thought it might open a few eyes as to how Amtrak really is.

 

When you say that, you negate every *positive* experience others, like me, have had. You're not opening MY eyes as to how it "really is", you're just stating your experiences. Which are different than mine.

 

I'm really sorry you've had such bad trips. On the last trip from BC there was a LONG delay b/c a freight train had broken down in front of us. We had a newly sick child with us (he wasn't sick when we went north, and there was no alternative but going home as scheduled even though he was not feeling well, and it really really REALLY sucked for everyone especially him), and it wasn't fun!

 

On the trip when I was pregnant, it was *interesting* walking down the aisleways, and I know I hit my belly once or twice on the wall during a jolt. But the same could have happened while walking down the aisle of a plane, and the bathrooms on planes are similar in size. :p

 

But still I liked it (especially once I got the bigger room on the longer trip)! And, frankly, while pg I was SUCH a klutz that I was bumping into walls in our stationary apartment...

 

It's good to have ALL sides of train travel discussed, but it does no one ANY good to have someone came in and say something that *sounds like* "my experience was THE experience".

 

*******

By the way, perhaps the west coast trains are different, but the room steward actually put a mattress down for a bed in the tiny sleeper room; there was no way I could climb up at 7 months pregnant, though I could have normally despite being 5'3" (I think there were steps of some kind?). But I wasn't just sleeping on two chairs pulled out to bed, there was actually a mattress sort of thing there...

[ninjababysaunt]

Sorry you took offense at my reply and posting re: my Amtrak experiences, but if you'd actually read several previous posts, I noticed others also have had "bad experiences." I also wouldn't think it would be terribly funny bumping your stomach being seven months' pregnant. My mother miscarried that way. Everybody has their opinions, and I "try" to accept others', but don't usually make a comment when I disagree.

 

Hope your family has a really great Easter!!:o

[BethCarp]

 

I am not considering the train due to fear of flying (I hate it, but I do it) I am trying to avoid 5-6 hours on a plane with my 2 year old-the train takes way longer, but he loves train and the freedom to move around and see things.

A 6 hour flight or a day-and-a-half train ride? I'd take the flight. I can't imagine taking my 2yo on a cross country train ride. I'm feeling clausterphobic just thinking about it. I'm sure he would love the train, but the novelty of it would wear off after a while. I'm guessing after about 6 hours, at which point you would say to yourself "If we had flown we'd be there now."

 

And big delays are quite possible. I looked into taking the train from St. Louis to Chicago last summer. After checking the actual arrival times for several days, the train was 3-6 hours late every day. That's on a normally 6-7 hour train ride.

 

If I were you I would fly to the cruise and take my son on a short train ride some other time. If he's older he probably will handle the airplane better.

[ChickenParm]

I guess I can chime in here, adding my own horror story about riding Amtrak. Since my Mom doesn't fly, we decided to give Amtrak a try for our New Year's cruise out of Miami in 1997. My parents and older brothers had traveled Amtrak from NY to Orlando before I was born (I still haven't been to Disney World, but that's another story...), so we felt confident it would be decent experience.

 

To make an extremely long story short, the ride both ways (NY to MIA and MIA to NY) was terrible. On the way down there were weather troubles causing delays (not the fault of Amtrak), but we ran over the crew's 12-hour limit... naturally, this occurred four minutes after pulling out of Ft. Lauderdale station, at which point we had to wait almost two hours for another crew to arrive. Had the crew merely stopped in Ft. Lauderdale we could have driven to Miami three times faster.

 

The trip back was even worse... delay after delay. The train never (as far as we know...) made it all the way into Manhattan. Our trip ended up 10 hours late in Newark, NJ. We had to carry a week's worth of luggage for our family of six and my four-year-old brother to switch to the PATH train and then walk the additional couple of blocks once we reached Manhattan to get back to Penn Station. On several occasions on the way up, the train ran out of food (this was the trip where I developed my affinity for Popeye's chicken, which they brought on board for us in DC at around 9:00pm) and at one point they informed us that the microwave had exploded. To this day, my dad likes to say that at least the microwave was put out of its misery.

 

So, the rest of our cruises to date have been (and probably will continue to be) from the Port of NY. Amtrak ended up compensating us with $500 worth of tickets to be used between NY and Miami. My brother was able to convince Amtrak ticket agents to let him use the tickets for his travel back and forth from school in Rochester, NY. I doubt we will ever use Amtrak for travel again.

 

Oh, and the cruise was great, btw.

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

I am a train lover. I fly a lot, but I do take the train sometimes, that is if I am not in a hurry. Taking the train from VA to NYC is a mess. Passenger trains constantly have to yield the right of way to freight traffic as most rails from VA ( I cant vouch for anything south or west) to DE or near are not owned by AMTRAK. Further north it is easy to make up lost time.

 

Recently from Willamsburg to NYC the train was almost 5 hours late.

 

So I would advise anyone to plan on arriving a day ahead of schedule of the cruise (and fliers too). You never know what might happen. But I would say the scenery is great and its great family time too.

 

I just wish all the money the government has been giving AMTRAK for decades had been spent on dedicated rail lines for passenger traffic. :mad:

[BearySweet2Cruise]

WE are going to elect to take amtrak to Fort lauderdale for our May 21 sailing on enchantment. We live about 6 hours from port everglades, but the train ride sounds appealing, even though it will be 7 hours, but we will not have to drive and will not have to pay parking...

If we were to drive we would need 2 cars, (4 of us going) and we have small mustangs.. no way to put 4 people and all our luggage in one car.. that would be double gas and double parking as well.

 

We could rent an SUV, but not driving at all sounds very sweet.. we are getting the bedroom car for room and comfort measures, (naps,food, and private bathroom, etc)

 

We are actually looking forward to the train ride.. and it's only 312.00 round trip for all 4 of us! The train station for departure is only about 5 miles from my house.. another plus! :)