Cost of Meals; roomette question

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zippyual

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What can I expect to pay for meals on the CZ for a family of four for each meal?

Also, if we leave DEN heading east on the CZ, will there be dinner available? Just checking on roomettes, and they are suddenly available from DEN-CHI for only $173! yesterday I checked and they were $420!

Thanks!
 
If I understand you correctly, you're getting a roomette for all 4 party members? (2 roomettes in total, of course) If so, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner is free in the Dining Car. However, you'll still have to pay for anything you get from the Sightseer Lounge Car.

Kurtis
 
For adult size appetites, this is what I figure for me:

Breakfast - $10-$15

Lunch - $15

Dinner - $25

Because the CZ is scheduled to leave at 7:50pm, I would think dinner would be available. Just remember the max allowed in a roomette is 3 and that would be a tight squeeze.

Edit to add: Family room is at $299, which would be less than 2 roomettes.
 
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KurtisB said:
If I understand you correctly, you're getting a roomette for all 4 party members? (2 roomettes in total, of course) If so, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner is free in the Dining Car. However, you'll still have to pay for anything you get from the Sightseer Lounge Car.

Kurtis
Click to expand...
Thanks for the answer, but they were two separate questions. First, how much can I expect to pay for meals if in coach?

Second part of the question was if dinner would be served that late out of DEN.

I guess 3rd part is that $173 seems like a great deal, no?

Also, if we get one roomette, can we switch out who is in there sleeping if we wanted to? Not take advantage of free meals, just have 2 people sleeping in there, then switching when they got up with 2 people who were in coach?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
zippyual said:
What can I expect to pay for meals on the CZ for a family of four for each meal?
Also, if we leave DEN heading east on the CZ, will there be dinner available? Just checking on roomettes, and they are suddenly available from DEN-CHI for only $173! yesterday I checked and they were $420!

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Should be a yes on dinner going east. That's an awesome price! Remember the sleepers also have coffee and juice available, too. Complete meals, including beverages is included. (Not alcohol.)
 
$173 for a roomette is very good, indeed. Especially since, upon looking up the prices on various dates, it would be safe to say that Amtrak is getting a fair amount of business on the route. (High bucket fares left & right, even a number months in the future)

Kurtis
 
zippyual said:
What can I expect to pay for meals on the CZ for a family of four for each meal?
Also, if we leave DEN heading east on the CZ, will there be dinner available? Just checking on roomettes, and they are suddenly available from DEN-CHI for only $173! yesterday I checked and they were $420!

Thanks!
Click to expand...
If you have a roomette (or bedroom - any sleeper), the cost of meals IN THE DINING CAR are included! :) (If you get anything from the cafe/lounge, you must pay for them.) So if you only eat in the Diner and eat 3 meals a day, that could save $30-$50 PER PERSON! :cool:

When a person who has a reservation cancels that reservation, that room is returned to the inventory - and is offered at the rate that it was originally sold at! :cool: Once that room is resold, the very next room price returns to the current bucket!

So in this case, that room is $173. When it is sold, the next room is $420! So if it is still available, and you are even thinking about it, I would grab it ASAP (if not sooner)! ;)
 
zippyual said:
First, how much can I expect to pay for meals if in coach?
Click to expand...
I think that BeckysBarn answer that pretty well, in the post above yours. However, I will add that there are also kids meals which are pretty reasonable.

zippyual said:
Also, if we get one roomette, can we switch out who is in there sleeping if we wanted to? Not take advantage of free meals, just have 2 people sleeping in there, then switching when they got up with 2 people who were in coach?
Click to expand...
Coach passengers are prohibited from the sleeping cars. On a typical train, you have go thru the dining car to get from coach to the sleeping cars, and the dining staff is well attentive of coach ticketed passengers attempting to go their they do not belong. Basically, a coach ticketed passenger attempting to sleep in a sleeping car is stealing a service they didn't pay for (remember, tickets have the passenger's name on them).
 
If you are in coach class and wanting to take dinner at a diner car, it'll be hard to get reservation, esp. in high demand season (summer). First priority are sleeper passengers, and then coach passengers if the seats are available. Usually, one of the crew will make an announcement before giving out the reservations. Breakfast are the easiest to reserve and then lunch.
 
Guest said:
zippyual said:
First, how much can I expect to pay for meals if in coach?
Click to expand...
I think that BeckysBarn answer that pretty well, in the post above yours. However, I will add that there are also kids meals which are pretty reasonable.

zippyual said:
Also, if we get one roomette, can we switch out who is in there sleeping if we wanted to? Not take advantage of free meals, just have 2 people sleeping in there, then switching when they got up with 2 people who were in coach?
Click to expand...
Coach passengers are prohibited from the sleeping cars. On a typical train, you have go thru the dining car to get from coach to the sleeping cars, and the dining staff is well attentive of coach ticketed passengers attempting to go their they do not belong. Basically, a coach ticketed passenger attempting to sleep in a sleeping car is stealing a service they didn't pay for (remember, tickets have the passenger's name on them).
Click to expand...

What i was trying to say is if we wanted to have 2 people switch places from the roomette to coach for several hours would that be a problem.....not trying to get 4 people in there at once.
 
zippyual said:
Guest said:
zippyual said:
First, how much can I expect to pay for meals if in coach?
Click to expand...
I think that BeckysBarn answer that pretty well, in the post above yours. However, I will add that there are also kids meals which are pretty reasonable.

zippyual said:
Also, if we get one roomette, can we switch out who is in there sleeping if we wanted to? Not take advantage of free meals, just have 2 people sleeping in there, then switching when they got up with 2 people who were in coach?
Click to expand...
Coach passengers are prohibited from the sleeping cars. On a typical train, you have go thru the dining car to get from coach to the sleeping cars, and the dining staff is well attentive of coach ticketed passengers attempting to go their they do not belong. Basically, a coach ticketed passenger attempting to sleep in a sleeping car is stealing a service they didn't pay for (remember, tickets have the passenger's name on them).
Click to expand...

What i was trying to say is if we wanted to have 2 people switch places from the roomette to coach for several hours would that be a problem.....not trying to get 4 people in there at once.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure it would be a problem, all the tickets have a name on them. The Sleeping Car Attendants are pretty aware of who belongs in their car. The Coach Attendant will also notice you too.

If someone from coach walks towards the sleepers from the diner, they are usually questioned.

The dining staff pays attention to where the passengers come from, too.

If you can only get one roomette at the lower price, do it. You can keep watch for another price drop. If that doesn't work & they sell out, call & ask to be put on a wait list. If that doesn't work, you may be able to get an onboard upgrade from coach to sleeper when you board, but that's not always available.
 
I boarded the Zephyr last June in Denver. We were about 20 minutes late in departing but the SCA told us to go immediately to the diner

to get our dinner. They were only serving to sleeper passengers. I don't know if I had been in coach if the diner was open to them at that time.
 
alanh said:
Here's the current menu with prices (PDF). Sleepers get an entree plus a dessert (choice of a meat side at breakfast) and non-alcoholic drinks included in their fare.
Click to expand...
To add to what AlanH has said... please note that ALL passengers receive iced or hot tea, coffee, or milk included with all meals. For breakfast, you also get apple, orange, or cranberry juice in addition to coffee or tea. If you are travelling in coach, you pay for soft drinks (Pespi, Diet Pepis, or Sierra Mist), if your travelling in a Sleeper, soft drinks are included in the price of your meal, but not alcaholic drinks.

All Dinner entree's also include a small garden salad, and a roll. When you factor in everything you get, most of the prices are pretty reasonable. Dinner is the most over-priced for what you get, you can generally eat Breakfast and Lunch cheaper in the Diner, then in the lounge, depending on what you order.

As for the roomette questions, your names are on your ticket, only passengers with a sleeping car ticket are technically supposed to occupy sleeping car rooms, in addition to the sleeper and dining car crews, the Conductors are also in charge of making sure that everyone is in the proper place on the train.
 
sunchaser said:
alanh said:
Here's the current menu with prices (PDF). Sleepers get an entrée plus a dessert (choice of a meat side at breakfast) and non-alcoholic drinks included in their fare.
Click to expand...
So you could easily spend $50 per person/day if you have three meals.
Click to expand...
Maybe we need to look at this as being, when we upgrade to a sleeper, we are paying for the meals and they throw the sleeper in for free. :lol: :lol:
 
MrFSS said:
sunchaser said:
alanh said:
Here's the current menu with prices (PDF). Sleepers get an entrée plus a dessert (choice of a meat side at breakfast) and non-alcoholic drinks included in their fare.
Click to expand...
So you could easily spend $50 per person/day if you have three meals.
Click to expand...
Maybe we need to look at this as being, when we upgrade to a sleeper, we are paying for the meals and they throw the sleeper in for free. :lol: :lol:
Click to expand...
You got it! I know I have found bedrooms for as low as $191 from SLC to SAC! Subtract $44 for two if you just get breakfast & lunch, or up to $80 for lunch & dinner, it really knocks the price down. And that's not including the bottled water coffee & juice (sometimes fruit too) you get in the sleepers.
 
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