Anyone take a train (long distance) to cruise.

[vijoge]

We took Amtrak from Chicago to Ft. Lauderdale for our Enchantment cruise, from chicago to NYC for our Dawn cruise, and we already have tickets from Chicago to Seattle for our Star cruise in June.

 

We book a sleeper, and we've had them all, deluxe, family, and standard.. I couldn't do the long trips without one, although I used to when I was younger.

 

The earlier you book the less you pay and keep in mind that the sleeper fare includes all meals.

[Linda in MI]

We took Amtrak from Ann Arbor, MI to New Orleans for a cruise last year, via Chicago on the "City of New Orleans." Each train we were on was very late, but luckily we planned our arrival into N.O. a day early. We traveled coach and it was actually very nice. The seats were like first class airline seats and they reclined for sleeping at night. There was lots of movement when the train was at full speed. The entire trip was supposed to take about 25 hours, but the southbound portion took 30 hours and the northbound trip took 34 hours. (We could have driven the trip in 18-20 hours!) The one thing I would recommend would be to plan your arrival at least a day before your cruise, possibly even two days.

 

Linda

[vijoge]

Absolutely necessary to arrive a day early, as the trains often run a bit (or more) late. There's no question that it's often quicker to drive, but driving is a lot less relaxing. I take some books and read, nap, daydream, nap some more. . .all things that are hard to do while driving.

[ciship]

I agree totally. There was a derailment with some other freight train (not Amtrak) when I was trying to get home from California last year. Amtrak had to delay my train home for a day and a half until the mess could get cleaned up. I had to find a motel close enough to Amtrak that I could walk to with my kids and 74 year old mother...was NOT happy about it, but it wasnt Amtraks fault. The two times I have traveled Amtrak since then have arrived at the destination on time, but they sure had to make up time on the way at night (and it gets rocky when they have to do that).

[House_Atreides]

Have been riding Amtrak for so long can't remember my first trip!

Yes we do take Amtrak to port on our cruises. That way, someone else drives and we always get either a roomette or full bedroom...can sleep....look out the window, read, and on the Viewliner trains watch TV (video).

Always get to port a day early; Amtrak is notoriously late---pack extra snacks because on more than one occassion they've run out of food.

Amtrak is now all non-smoking...so if you're a smoker...be prepared to jump on and off the train at stops where they let you off to smoke...don't leave the platform cos once they say "all aboard"...they mean it!!!

Have fun, relax....it's a great way to start a vacation;)

[Mrs. Dockside Doc]

Amtrak turned out to be the best way to end a cruise...the first time, we drove back from Florida to Virginia, but this year we took the Autotrain back.

 

Didn't have to worry about pesky luggage restrictions either--it's all you can cram in your car!

[Gingee]

Noew you guys have me worried. Are the beds in the rooms clean?

[ciship]

Sheets are fresh, starched and clean on the Southwest Chief. I ask for fresh sheets each day and fresh cases for my pillows. If the car steward is too busy to do it himself, I will go and find the clean sheets myself (always packaged on the lower level of the car near the luggage) and make my own beds.

 

Make sure you ask for extra pillows as soon as you board if you want them. They go fast......especially to the coach passengers. I make friends immediately with the car steward (or whatever they call them) b/c they can make or break your trip for you. Some are just awesome, but I've had one who was just plain MEAN!! If you get a good one, they will make a trip so enjoyable and they are very helpful with anything you need.

[Gingee]

I was wondering if any of you are familiar with the promotion that I usually see around the first of the year. Something like buy one get one a certain percentage off and then the third free. Something like that.

[momofmeg]

We are kicking around taking a train from Indianapolis to New York. I haven't heard of anyone who has taken a cruise and taken a train instead of a plane. Anyone out there had experiences with Amtrak?

 

Thanks

 

I have not taken a train to a cruise destination but I have taken Amtrak. It has been 17 years but I went from Atlanta to Boston by train. It took 23 hours and the worse was from New York to Boston which took 5 hours for what would be a 3 hour car drive. Many were day commuters to their jobs between New York and Boston and the train was stopping every 5 to 10 minutes.

 

I thought the seats were nice. Really you have much more room then you do on an airplane unless you are in first class-but just realize it seems to take FOREVER if you have a long ride. There is a refreshment car on the tain so you can get a cup of coffee or a cola but the food was the pits-cheap frozen dinner quality(ever ate one of those Banquet dinners?) but the prices for a burger is like double what you would pay for a Big Mac and tastes horrible.(Remember the "salisbury steak" in a Banquet dinner? that is what it was)

 

Now I did not book a berth -but coach-the whole reason I went by train was we did not have a lot of money and could not afford plane tickets-I really don't see how that could be much better-from what I saw it was just a curtain covering the berths so I myself would not change into pajamas to sleep there-I would stay in my clothes for sure. These berths were so small too-no shower or bath comes with them-just the public bathroom for all passengers.

 

So I guess it would come down to how many hours you are on the train-8 hours I would think would not be bad-especially if you packed a lunch or snack so you did not have to eat that horrible food. That would be better then an 8 hour car drive because you can walk around and stretch your legs.

 

I did enjoy the scenary. The time I went was in October and I saw some really nice fall foliage.

[ciship]

whoa....Lots has changed since back then MomofMeg!! Actual doors on the rooms, nice shower, surprisingly good food in the dining car and the snacks in the snack car arent bad either. I love having all my meals included in my long trip too. That can get very expensive.

[Gingee]

I like to hear that they got better. I think trains need to get with the times.

[Druke I]

We have taken the train several times AFTER the cruise, from Vancouver BC back to the San Francisco By Area.

 

Haven't tried taking it to the cruise, but that is primarily due to Amtrak's schedules and notoriously bad record for on-time arrivals.

 

I would love to take the train from the West Coast to the East Coast to catch a ship - but my wife doesn't care for long train trips - overnight is fine, but not three nights enroute.

[Gingee]

Three nights does seem like a long time. Does anyone have pictures of their experiences on trains?

[vijoge]

I don't have any pictures, but there are some good ones here:

 

http://amtraktrains.com/page.php?x=photos

 

We take the train whenever we can. It seems to be one of those things people either love or hate, though.

[Gingee]

Thanks a million for the train pictures. Now I have to figure out which one we would be taking.

[anniecat]

I love AMTRAK...get a compartment FOR SURE, and plan your trip to arrive at least the day before the ship sails...I'd go for two days in winter if you're more than one night. Just be prepared. Unfortunately, the rails AMTRAK rides are made for freight trains, the frieght has the right-of-way usually, and any delay will be magnified (such as flood, snow, stalled car, person (dead) on tracks) and if you have to change trains.?????? Still, AMTRAK is great. every trip we do on it (7 so far) we are afraid it will be the last..fearing that the economics of train travel will overcome the experience and AMTRAK will disappear. Just think of the train as an experience, those pioneers traveling across the country in the early part of the 1900's to a new beginning in ..., the military personel traveling home after service in WW2(like my dad), the elegant cross country tours to the Grand CAnyon etc. Imagine what it is like to live in the towns you ride by, what goes on in the backyards next to the tracks, and what it is like to live on the wrong side of the tracks. It's a very AMERICAN EXPERIENCE...maybe not an elegant one, but you see the truth of life going by your window. Still, get a comparment, have wine with dinner and be glad you're not living on those tracks.

Have a safe journey on the rail and at sea

[Gingee]

Thanks for the info. Some people mentioned another trains called the Capitol and Lake Shore Limited.

 

Any replies on those?

[bUU]

The Capitol Limited goes from Washington DC to Chicago. The Lake Shore Limited is the train I took -- it goes from Boston and New York to Chicago (and back). The accommodations on those trains are far less spacious than on the Southwest Chief, California Zephyr, Empire Builder, and the Sunset Limited.