Dining in sleeper?

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.

nolatron

Train Attendant
Joined
Mar 18, 2010
Messages
60
Location
New Orleans, LA
Hi all,

I've been thinking about doing a Amtrak trip in the coming months. Something I've thought about doing for awhile to see sights I'd just never see anywhere else in my lifetime.

I would either do a short New Orleans > DC > Chicago > New Orleans trip, or a longer New Orleans > LA > Portland > Chicago > New Orleans one.

Anyway, to my question. See, I like to keep to myself most of time. I'm a pretty quiet and shy person. I want to ride the trains so I can see the country-side, not worry about trying to have a conversation with a stranger(s) over a meal multiple times on a trip. It's just something I don't do well with.

So with the roomette's, are you able to eat all of your trip's meals in the room? I took the Sunset Limited from New Orleans to Houston back in 2005 and was able to get dinner in my roomette, but didn't know if that was just a nice CA or if that's a normal thing to request and still doable these days.

Thanks for reading.

-Shaun
 
Hi all,
I've been thinking about doing a Amtrak trip in the coming months. Something I've thought about doing for awhile to see sights I'd just never see anywhere else in my lifetime.

I would either do a short New Orleans > DC > Chicago > New Orleans trip, or a longer New Orleans > LA > Portland > Chicago > New Orleans one.

Anyway, to my question. See, I like to keep to myself most of time. I'm a pretty quiet and shy person. I want to ride the trains so I can see the country-side, not worry about trying to have a conversation with a stranger(s) over a meal multiple times on a trip. It's just something I don't do well with.

So with the roomette's, are you able to eat all of your trip's meals in the room? I took the Sunset Limited from New Orleans to Houston back in 2005 and was able to get dinner in my roomette, but didn't know if that was just a nice CA or if that's a normal thing to request and still doable these days.

Thanks for reading.

-Shaun
You most certainly can have your meals in the roomette if you prefer. Just let your Sleeping Car Attendant know, and tip extra for the service. We tipped $5 or $10. Enjoy your trip!
 
Hi all,
I've been thinking about doing a Amtrak trip in the coming months. Something I've thought about doing for awhile to see sights I'd just never see anywhere else in my lifetime.

I would either do a short New Orleans > DC > Chicago > New Orleans trip, or a longer New Orleans > LA > Portland > Chicago > New Orleans one.

Anyway, to my question. See, I like to keep to myself most of time. I'm a pretty quiet and shy person. I want to ride the trains so I can see the country-side, not worry about trying to have a conversation with a stranger(s) over a meal multiple times on a trip. It's just something I don't do well with.

So with the roomette's, are you able to eat all of your trip's meals in the room? I took the Sunset Limited from New Orleans to Houston back in 2005 and was able to get dinner in my roomette, but didn't know if that was just a nice CA or if that's a normal thing to request and still doable these days.

Thanks for reading.

-Shaun
Yes, you can get all your meals in your sleeper compartment. I'd also go with the longer route, since the scenery is much better. The great thing about a sleeper is that you can be as sociable as you want. If you want to have lunch in the dining car and dinner in your compartment, more power to you. I'd tip the sleeping car attendant for each meal, but on this site tipping is a remarkably controversial subject. Right up there with the steak in the dining car and whether the Sunset Limited will ever return east of New Orleans.
 
Hi all,
I've been thinking about doing a Amtrak trip in the coming months. Something I've thought about doing for awhile to see sights I'd just never see anywhere else in my lifetime.

I would either do a short New Orleans > DC > Chicago > New Orleans trip, or a longer New Orleans > LA > Portland > Chicago > New Orleans one.

Anyway, to my question. See, I like to keep to myself most of time. I'm a pretty quiet and shy person. I want to ride the trains so I can see the country-side, not worry about trying to have a conversation with a stranger(s) over a meal multiple times on a trip. It's just something I don't do well with.

So with the roomette's, are you able to eat all of your trip's meals in the room? I took the Sunset Limited from New Orleans to Houston back in 2005 and was able to get dinner in my roomette, but didn't know if that was just a nice CA or if that's a normal thing to request and still doable these days.

Thanks for reading.

-Shaun
Yes, you can get all your meals in your sleeper compartment. I'd also go with the longer route, since the scenery is much better. The great thing about a sleeper is that you can be as sociable as you want. If you want to have lunch in the dining car and dinner in your compartment, more power to you. I'd tip the sleeping car attendant for each meal, but on this site tipping is a remarkably controversial subject. Right up there with the steak in the dining car and whether the Sunset Limited will ever return east of New Orleans.
You can get all of your meals in your sleeper, but I tend to do it only for luches and dinners. At breakfast time, your SCA is very busy making up beds and doing other morning duties. In terms of tipping, I am one of those who tips at the end of the journey (either detraining or the night before as the bed is put down), and I tip at the upper end of ranges when service is good. I agree that in room meal service warrants a larger tip.
 
I am a person who has been painfuly shy most of my life. Fortunately some of those issues have been worked out in recent years.

I say that to let you know I do know what you mean. But allow me to say the dining car thing is not really all that threatening, it is uusally a low key soft spoken event. Really.

Why don't you have your first meal in the diner, and if that is a disaster don't do it at all again. I bet it will be ok.

I think you should do each way at least once just for the experience.
 
I'm not shy, but I hate people. Can't stand the things. Disgusting creatures. I have a little wild deer mouse I caught a while back, cutest little thing you've ever seen, these really wet sad eyes and a wonderful temperament. Never makes a sound. Quiet as a mouse. Much preferable company to people. It'll run up to me and nuzzle me until I give it food. Doesn't even need a cage anymore.

ANYWAY, I enjoy the dining car experience. I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't given a shot.
 
I am a person who has been painfuly shy most of my life. Fortunately some of those issues have been worked out in recent years.
I say that to let you know I do know what you mean. But allow me to say the dining car thing is not really all that threatening, it is uusally a low key soft spoken event. Really.

Why don't you have your first meal in the diner, and if that is a disaster don't do it at all again. I bet it will be ok.

I think you should do each way at least once just for the experience.
I agree with Bill: try one meal in the diner. If possible, make it an early breakfast. Most people will understand less conversation in the morning. But you may find you're pleasantly surprised.
 
I am very shy myself. But one of the things I like about train travel is the ability to meet other people. If you are on a plane, you're seated next to the same person for the entire flight. On a train, if you go to the lounge car, and you don't like the person for some reason, you can always leave. And at meals in the Diner, there is no rule that says "You must talk to others at your table!" - I have had table mates read a book (except when eating) and never say a word! I have also had great conversations with people from all over the world!

I've even had 3 meals with someone who was on AU "before we met"! (Remember I said I'm very shy and don't talk much!)

Also remember that most people you'll meet in the Diner you'll never see again!

I say try to have at least 1 meal in the diner! ;) If you don't like it, you can always have the rest of the meals in your room!
 
You don't have to imagine a shy person, you don't have to imagine anyone is different from you... All that is required is that Nolatron gets an answer to his question. (That answer is yes, part of the DUTIES of the attendant is to bring you your meals in your room, if you require...)

Wonder if having wet sad eyes and being captive go together, or is that too much thought all in one go?

Ed :cool:
 
You don't have to imagine a shy person, you don't have to imagine anyone is different from you... All that is required is that Nolatron gets an answer to his question. (That answer is yes, part of the DUTIES of the attendant is to bring you your meals in your room, if you require...)Wonder if having wet sad eyes and being captive go together, or is that too much thought all in one go?

Ed :cool:
*shrugs* As I said, we don't cage her any more. She has a cage, but the doors open. If she wants to leave, she is free to go.

sally1forum.png


Oh, and Ed? We answered the man's question. We just happened to add our own opinion on to it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You don't have to imagine a shy person, you don't have to imagine anyone is different from you... All that is required is that Nolatron gets an answer to his question. (That answer is yes, part of the DUTIES of the attendant is to bring you your meals in your room, if you require...)Wonder if having wet sad eyes and being captive go together, or is that too much thought all in one go?

Ed :cool:
*shrugs* As I said, we don't cage her any more. She has a cage, but the doors open. If she wants to leave, she is free to go.

sally1forum.png


Oh, and Ed? We answered the man's question. We just happened to add our own opinion on to it.

awww he's so cute!

and to the OP: The dining car is my favorite part. I love hearing why everyone is taking such and such train today and where they are going. You'll hear some of the most amazing stories, and it's just a great thing.
 
Thanks for all of the friendly replies. Really helps me make a decision on taking such a trip, especially the longer one to see more of the western landscapes.

I'll certainly give the dining car a try as suggested but it's good to know that if I do want to enjoy a meal alone I certainly can.

And cute hamster. :cool:
 
We enjoy having dinner and meeting other people. Most that we have met have been good folks and none have been short on conversation. Much of the time we have been matched with people in our age group who are dressed in the same type of business casual clothing that we wear to dinner. I can only relate good experiences so far.
 
You don't have to imagine a shy person, you don't have to imagine anyone is different from you... All that is required is that Nolatron gets an answer to his question. (That answer is yes, part of the DUTIES of the attendant is to bring you your meals in your room, if you require...)Wonder if having wet sad eyes and being captive go together, or is that too much thought all in one go?

Ed :cool:
*shrugs* As I said, we don't cage her any more. She has a cage, but the doors open. If she wants to leave, she is free to go.

sally1forum.png


Oh, and Ed? We answered the man's question. We just happened to add our own opinion on to it.
If wet sad eyes & captivity go together, then I guess we should all have them. :)

GML, she's so cute! We used to leave our Macaw on his perch all the time until I bought him a cage for his safety & security at night.
 
She looks happy and content in her cozy home and not in any hurry to go anywhere. In my younger days, I've kept Gerbils, Mice and Rats and know all too well how good of a pet they can be.
 
When I rode the Southwest Chief last month from Los Angeles to Chicago, two or three roomette passengers in my car arranged for their meals to be brought in. This didn't seem to be a problem, at all. Like others have mentioned, this extra service would certainly merit a nice tip.

Regarding the fear of dining with people you don't know, I'm not always the most gregarious person around, but I haven't experienced much stress when traveling alone and dining with strangers. Also, I've never been pressured to join a conversation or been interrogated about personal business. Besides, if I don't feel like talking, there is always someone who is more than willing to fill any socially awkward silences. However, most of the time, I do enjoy meeting people.
 
My two-cents on the tipping are this: Tip the SCA just as you would tip a waiter at a restaurant, for each and every meal he/she brings you. It IS out of the ordinary to request every meal in your room. Not because there is anything wrong with it or anything like that, it is just not "the norm".

On more than one occasion (while working as an SCA) I catered to pax in their rooms, and was handsomely rewarded.

Same goes for tipping in the diner. Figure out what the RETAIL price is, and then tip on that amount. 10-15-20 percent, based on service of course.

For three years at Amtrak, in the late 70's - early 80's, I never cashed a pay check, just lived off tips.
 
I also enjoy talking to other people in the dining car. Like to hear why they are taking a train, where they are going, etc. I like to hear that other people hate planes and would like to take the slower pace across the country. Sometimes you get boring people and sometimes you don't. On our last train trip last year there was a couple people who had also been on our cruise. Well the one poor woman must have eaten beans or something (I'll let you guess on that) and she started laughing and we all started laughing. I do also like to be lazy in my roommette and sleep in the daytime if I want to.

Oh well, like everyone else has says, do what you want - whatever makes you feel good.
 
And cute hamster. :cool:
Its a deer mouse. xD A female, name of Sally.

A somewhat-tamed born-wild deer mouse. They are somewhat related to field mice. A lot closer related then to the more common house mouse. We also have a pale-eyed-white fancy mouse (Bianca), a brown fancy/house hybrid (Baba Ganoush), and a gerbil (orginally a school pet a Jewish day school, named Hummus). And we briefly had another deer mouse we named Falafel, but he never really seemed happy here, so we let him go. We like rodents, what can I tell you? xD
 
Definitely try the dining car at least once. My wife, 9 month old daughter and my self just finished our first LD train trip on the CS, and I was slightly terrified of the shared dining aspect of it. I work retail, so 40 hours of my week is spent dealing with people, so I tend to avoid it in my off time. In addition I'm pretty self concious about eating in front of complete strangers. But I decided to try it since it was part of the whole train experience, and I don't regret it at all. Our dinnner compainion had no real desire for small talk, and our breakfast companion from couch, was pretty chatty but the conversation was definitely interesting and fun.

And if it's not your cup of tea, then by all means take meals in your roomette.

Enjoy your trip!

Pat
 
Hi all,
I've been thinking about doing a Amtrak trip in the coming months. Something I've thought about doing for awhile to see sights I'd just never see anywhere else in my lifetime.

I would either do a short New Orleans > DC > Chicago > New Orleans trip, or a longer New Orleans > LA > Portland > Chicago > New Orleans one.

Anyway, to my question. See, I like to keep to myself most of time. I'm a pretty quiet and shy person. I want to ride the trains so I can see the country-side, not worry about trying to have a conversation with a stranger(s) over a meal multiple times on a trip. It's just something I don't do well with.

So with the roomette's, are you able to eat all of your trip's meals in the room? I took the Sunset Limited from New Orleans to Houston back in 2005 and was able to get dinner in my roomette, but didn't know if that was just a nice CA or if that's a normal thing to request and still doable these days.

Thanks for reading.

-Shaun
You most certainly can have your meals in the roomette if you prefer. Just let your Sleeping Car Attendant know, and tip extra for the service. We tipped $5 or $10. Enjoy your trip!
So you tip 5 or 10 per meal in the roomettte? Also when dining in the car, do you just do the tip like in a restaurant and leave it on the table?
 
Hi all,
I've been thinking about doing a Amtrak trip in the coming months. Something I've thought about doing for awhile to see sights I'd just never see anywhere else in my lifetime.

I would either do a short New Orleans > DC > Chicago > New Orleans trip, or a longer New Orleans > LA > Portland > Chicago > New Orleans one.

Anyway, to my question. See, I like to keep to myself most of time. I'm a pretty quiet and shy person. I want to ride the trains so I can see the country-side, not worry about trying to have a conversation with a stranger(s) over a meal multiple times on a trip. It's just something I don't do well with.

So with the roomette's, are you able to eat all of your trip's meals in the room? I took the Sunset Limited from New Orleans to Houston back in 2005 and was able to get dinner in my roomette, but didn't know if that was just a nice CA or if that's a normal thing to request and still doable these days.

Thanks for reading.

-Shaun
You most certainly can have your meals in the roomette if you prefer. Just let your Sleeping Car Attendant know, and tip extra for the service. We tipped $5 or $10. Enjoy your trip!
So you tip 5 or 10 per meal in the roomette? Also when dining in the car, do you just do the tip like in a restaurant and leave it on the table?
Yes & Yes. The Sleeping Car Attendant has to take the time to bring you the menu, then go order it & pick it up for you & bring it to you. Meanwhile, they have others to tend to besides you. If there is someone in the H room, most of the time they take their meals in their room too. Last summer on the Coast Starlight, there was a couple who took all of their meals in their bedroom. They had the door & curtains closed the whole trip, too. I figured since the SCA is giving extra of their time, I want to reward them for it. I know it's considered part of the service for the sleepers, but I want them to know they are appreciated for their efforts.

In the dining car, we tip because even though they do get paid, they are on duty for long hours, and just like the SCA, they are basically 'on the clock' for the duration of the trip. I don't think they even get official breaks.
 
Hi all,
I've been thinking about doing a Amtrak trip in the coming months. Something I've thought about doing for awhile to see sights I'd just never see anywhere else in my lifetime.

I would either do a short New Orleans > DC > Chicago > New Orleans trip, or a longer New Orleans > LA > Portland > Chicago > New Orleans one.

Anyway, to my question. See, I like to keep to myself most of time. I'm a pretty quiet and shy person. I want to ride the trains so I can see the country-side, not worry about trying to have a conversation with a stranger(s) over a meal multiple times on a trip. It's just something I don't do well with.

So with the roomette's, are you able to eat all of your trip's meals in the room? I took the Sunset Limited from New Orleans to Houston back in 2005 and was able to get dinner in my roomette, but didn't know if that was just a nice CA or if that's a normal thing to request and still doable these days.

Thanks for reading.

-Shaun
You most certainly can have your meals in the roomette if you prefer. Just let your Sleeping Car Attendant know, and tip extra for the service. We tipped $5 or $10. Enjoy your trip!
So you tip 5 or 10 per meal in the roomette? Also when dining in the car, do you just do the tip like in a restaurant and leave it on the table?
Yes & Yes. The Sleeping Car Attendant has to take the time to bring you the menu, then go order it & pick it up for you & bring it to you. Meanwhile, they have others to tend to besides you. If there is someone in the H room, most of the time they take their meals in their room too. Last summer on the Coast Starlight, there was a couple who took all of their meals in their bedroom. They had the door & curtains closed the whole trip, too. I figured since the SCA is giving extra of their time, I want to reward them for it. I know it's considered part of the service for the sleepers, but I want them to know they are appreciated for their efforts.

In the dining car, we tip because even though they do get paid, they are on duty for long hours, and just like the SCA, they are basically 'on the clock' for the duration of the trip. I don't think they even get official breaks.
Ok, thank you very much for the information. I am going to try to eat in the dining car, but like the original poster, i am not to good with small talk and talking to strangers. But i'm gonna try it out and. I'll be on the train for 3 days, so if the dining car experience sucks, then i can just eat in my room.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top