Philly overnight to Jacksonville to board a cruise - is it very risky?

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Chessie

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Hello, all.

I am considering the possibility of traveling overnight on Amtrak from Philly, PA to Jacksonville, FL to catch a cruise ship in the afternoon. I have a couple of questions and would greatly appreciate any feedback.

1) According to the schedule Silver Star can get us to Jacksonville at 6:39 am and Silver Meteor gets in at 9:09 am. Is one much more likely to have delays than the other? Obviously Silver Star gets there much earlier on paper, but if it is regularly delayed the schedule could be meaningless. Is the timing too risky? Do I need to build in another day?

2) Between Silver Star and Silver Meteor, which one will likely to offer better views and sceneries? I understand Silver Star doesn't have a dining car and that is not important to us. Of course we can always do one outbound and another inbound if neither has an obvious advantage.

3) Any other things we need to be aware of? Are we missing something big? Any tips, suggestions and opinions are appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
 
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I think you'd be safe either way, but I'd book the Silver Star just to give you that extra level of padding. Of course, if by "afternoon" you mean 1 p.m., I'd hesitate. What is the cut-off time for boarding the ship? What are your options for getting from the Amtrak station to the cruise terminal (I assume taxi?).

Barring unusual circumstances, the only time the train would be canceled outright would be extreme weather, such as tropical storm or blizzard (you don't say what time of year this is). If it's a tropical storm, there's a good chance the cruise would be delayed, too. If it's a blizzard, you might know far enough in advance to rent a car and drive south before the blizzard hits. In short, consider your back-up options before you book a same-day connection. But overall I think you'd be okay with this one.
 
I would build in a extra day.

Once the boat leaves and your not on it....

Why be complete stressed out about the connection on the first day of your cruise. If you can build in day then do so.
 
Since the diner isn't important to you, if the Starvation is cheaper for a Room I'd just go with it for the overnight ride.( as was said, not much scenery on this route, it's mostly on the dark)

I agree that you should plan to stay overnight upon arrival, as was said watching the ship sail away as you stand on the dock isnt real pleasureful! ( and if you can get a good rate on your hotel since travel insurance is mostly profit for the seller, you'll be able to board the ship rested,refreshed and ready to ride the waves!)
 
To introduce some data into the conversation:

Since the beginning of this year, the southbound Silver Star has arrived in Jacksonville before 1 p.m. every day except twice.

Since the beginning of this year, the southbound Silver Meteor has arrived in Jacksonville before 1 p.m. on all but 9 days.

That doesn't mean the Star is more reliable than the Meteor. It's just that the Star has a far bigger buffer. I chose 1 p.m. because that should still allow the OP enough time to get from the Amtrak station to the cruise terminal, assuming a mid-to-late afternoon deadline to board the ship. [if you change that to 2 p.m., the Meteor would have gotten you there on all but 4 days.]

So if they question is "Is it very risky" the answer is that if you book the Silver Star, the odds are exceeding in your favor that you will make the train. The odds are also exceedingly good if you book the Meteor. Again, it really depends on what the cruise boarding deadline is.
 
Amtrak has discounts for passengers heading to a departure port with a few of the Cruise Ship companies. To use those discounts, Amtrak requires you to book to arrive the day before your ship's departure. IMHO, Amtrak is tying to give you a really good hint with this rule.

Personally, when I go on a cruise, its to relax. There is no way I could start to relax, sitting on a train that's running late. And later. And even more later.

EDIT: Here is one example: https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/amtrak
 
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Thank you all very much for the feedback.

The cruise is in late fall, which I suppose is susceptible to both late hurricanes and early blizzards? The cruise ship leaves at 4 pm and the cruise company recommends we arrive at the port 90 mins prior, therefore, 2:30 pm. The taxi ride from station to port takes about 30 min barring unusual traffic. So at the very latest we need to arrive at Jacksonville Amtrak station at 2 pm the day of.

Leaving one day earlier is possible, but it means we will probably have to book coach plus one night hotel to keep the cost reasonable instead of a roomette which seems much more interesting. It also means Silver Star is no longer a feasible option due to its earlier departure time.

@fairviewroad, could you let me know where I can see the data you mentioned if it is permitted to the public? Thank you!
 
Since the beginning of this year, the southbound Silver Star has arrived in Jacksonville before 1 p.m. every day except twice.

Since the beginning of this year, the southbound Silver Meteor has arrived in Jacksonville before 1 p.m. on all but 9 days.
Here's a link for the Silver Star, and here's a link for the Silver Meteor performance data...sorted by the arrival delays noted by fairviewroad.
 
IMHO, Amtrak is tying to give you a really good hint with this rule.
And here's the hint:

"Amtrak: When it really matters, you can't count on us."

That said, I totally get the rationale of arriving a day early, especially if the OP has the time, and has even a modicum of interest in exploring Jacksonville for the day. [Explore all 2.5 miles of the city's rapid transit system!]

I guess I'm not a big enough fan of cruises and don't think they merit wasting an entire vacation day waiting around for it to depart. But if you truly want to take the train, and have the time to spare, then I suppose getting there more than 28 hours ahead of time would be a reasonable idea.
 
I guess I'm not a big enough fan of cruises and don't think they merit wasting an entire vacation day waiting around for it to depart. But if you truly want to take the train, and have the time to spare, then I suppose getting there more than 28 hours ahead of time would be a reasonable idea.
That's why I take cruises "locally". For this example, I would go out of Philly, Liberty NJ, or NYC, and not out of Jacksonville, FL. If I have to travel over night, then Jacksonville itself becomes my vacation destination.
 
I report, you decide. On Sun., 8/14-Mon., 8/15 Meteor trip, my train was 3:10 late arriving JAX and 2:58 late arriving PAK. Reason? Signal problems north of Washington (unavoidable), and delay due to waiting for a replacement crew at Fredericsburg (avoidable).

I would allow an extra day for peace of mind. By the way, Amtrak sent me a $50 travel voucher for future use, but that won't help you if you miss the cruise.
 
Leaving one day earlier is possible, but it means we will probably have to book coach plus one night hotel to keep the cost reasonable instead of a roomette which seems much more interesting. It also means Silver Star is no longer a feasible option due to its earlier departure time.
Since Amtrak offers a discount if you arrive a day ahead of your cruise, you may want to call to find out if a roomette will be more reasonably priced than if you simply price it out online.

Additionally, you may be able to snag some good last-minute hotel deals, especially with it being hurricane season. The "Hotel Tonight" app is my favorite. You can't search the rates until six days before your trip (and the rates will fluctuate downward the closer it gets to your trip), so if you're okay with waiting to book your hotel, I'd suggest using that app. I've been able to get $300/night hotels for as little as $75/night. :)

Personally, I wouldn't want to risk missing my cruise. I would be so worried about delays that I wouldn't be able to enjoy the train ride at all. For me, it's worth the extra money to have peace of mind and arrive the day before.

Plus, if you miss your cruise, you're out a lot more money than the extra night in the hotel. So I'd weigh that into the pros and cons too.
 
Years ago, I worked with the cruise lines to develop Amtrak travel to the various ports and we made it a point to recommend arriving the day before your cruise departure. Why risk delays and cause frustration, worry and anxiety before you even get on your cruise. Spend the money for a hotel and if money is a deciding factor, book a sleeper for your northbound trip. Whatever you decide, have fun!
 
Again, thank you all for the information. @SarahZ, thank you for the tip. A reasonably priced roomette would be ideal.

I looked at the data from the same time last year and the year before and the risk seems low but still not nil.

The cruise is a company paid team building event / retreat that I would not want to miss. The majority of the team members work from the Jacksonville office, plus a few of us from other offices all over the country.

We are welcome to bring our spouses at our own expense and many do so to avoid sharing a cabin with a coworker (why the event organizer thought that cabin sharing with a colleague would be a good idea is beyond me).

Transportation of the employee to the cruise port, whatever method one chooses, and hotel will be covered by the company but I would like to keep it reasonable and in line with the cost of air travel. Spouse traveling comes out of our own pockets.

At this point, I am leaning toward booking coach and hotel, paid by the company, and pay to upgrade to a roomette myself. Not sure how to exactly separate the cost for reimbursement but I can always print out multiple pricing pages.
 
At this point, I am leaning toward booking coach and hotel, paid by the company, and pay to upgrade to a roomette myself. Not sure how to exactly separate the cost for reimbursement but I can always print out multiple pricing pages.
I have NO idea how your company works, obviously, but this is how my old job handled my business travel when I asked to use Amtrak:

The company travel agent booked my train travel (in coach) and then provided me with the reservation number.

I called Amtrak, provided them with the reservation number, and explained my company was covering the "rail fare" portion, but I would like to pay for the roomette upcharge with my credit card.

When I got the updated reservation email, the charges looked like this:

Screen Shot 2016-08-24 at 6.21.50 PM.png

I'm pretty sure this is the standard format, even if you're paying for all of the charges yourself.

I would talk to your boss or the corporate travel agency to see if this is something that can be prearranged or if they'll handle it when reimbursing you. My travel was always paid upfront, which came in handy.

Also, check to see if they'll let you attach your Amtrak Guest Rewards number to the reservation, even though the company is paying all/some of it. I was always allowed to use my personal points/miles numbers, even though my company covered my travel. :)
 
At this point, I am leaning toward booking coach and hotel, paid by the company, and pay to upgrade to a roomette myself. Not sure how to exactly separate the cost for reimbursement but I can always print out multiple pricing pages.
I have NO idea how your company works, obviously, but this is how my old job handled my business travel when I asked to use Amtrak:

The company travel agent booked my train travel (in coach) and then provided me with the reservation number.

I called Amtrak, provided them with the reservation number, and explained my company was covering the "rail fare" portion, but I would like to pay for the roomette upcharge with my credit card.

When I got the updated reservation email, the charges looked like this:

attachicon.gif
Screen Shot 2016-08-24 at 6.21.50 PM.png

I'm pretty sure this is the standard format, even if you're paying for all of the charges yourself.

I would talk to your boss or the corporate travel agency to see if this is something that can be prearranged or if they'll handle it when reimbursing you. My travel was always paid upfront, which came in handy.

Also, check to see if they'll let you attach your Amtrak Guest Rewards number to the reservation, even though the company is paying all/some of it. I was always allowed to use my personal points/miles numbers, even though my company covered my travel.

Thank you, Sarah. That looks perfect for my purpose. Looks like as long as I call to book I can ask to use the company AMEX card to pay for the rail fare and use my own to pay for the roomette portion.

Another question for everyone:

I read some older posts where it was stated that the roomette surcharge is the same whether it is for one person or two people. It led me to believe if I book one roomette and one coach (which would make booking separately so much easier), the cost would equal to two people in roomette. However when I priced out different scenarios on Amtrak website that was not the case. Two people in roomette cost more than one coach, one in roomette. Is the extra cost for food? What if I book one roomette and one coach and the coach person comes into the roomette to sleep but does not consume any free food, would that be allowed?

Also, a loosely related question:

This doesn't pertain to my own travel this time around but in the future if I book a roomette as a single adult, will I be paired with another person by Amtrak?
All your feedback is much appreciated.
 
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No, you will never, ever be paired with a stranger in a sleeping accommodation on Amtrak.

That's what the dining car is for. :p
 
You need to call and have your single coach ticket booked as a "open sleeper ticket". That the correct terminology for what your trying to do.

As for the different in price, it's magic. So we can't tell you why or how, and I am really not sure Amtrak could either.

.
 
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I read some older posts where it was stated that the roomette surcharge is the same whether it is for one person or two people. It led me to believe if I book one roomette and one coach (which would make booking separately so much easier), the cost would equal to two people in roomette. However when I priced out different scenarios on Amtrak website that was not the case. Two people in roomette cost more than one coach, one in roomette. Is the extra cost due to included food?
No, what you perceive as "extra cost" is that the total fare for one person in a Roomette is the Roomette upcharge plus the low bucket coach fare. The lowest coach fare you're seeing is probably the Saver Fare, which is 20% below the low bucket and never included as a part of the total Roomette fare.
 
It's funny as someone who lives on the Meteor and Star's routes. I have to say I prefer the Star to the two trains scenery wise. I love the old Seaboard main line in the Carolinas. Even after dark it's enjoyable small towns passing by. And going north on 92 daylight over rural NC is enjoyable and seeing the Triad at rush hour from the train as well. For disclosures sake I personally live on the Stars route in Columbia. And go to school on the Meteors route in Florence.
 
Again, many thanks to you all. Much appreciated.

Thank you for the information @Just-Thinking-51 and @niemi21s. It makes sense to me that a coach ticket with access to a sleeper would cost more than a regular coach.

I will probably book Silver Meteor out and return by Silver Star to get to experience both trains and routes. I hope we are not too spoiled by the Meteor dining car and the cruise to make the return trip somewhat less enjoyable.
 
It's funny as someone who lives on the Meteor and Star's routes. I have to say I prefer the Star to the two trains scenery wise. I love the old Seaboard main line in the Carolinas. Even after dark it's enjoyable small towns passing by. And going north on 92 daylight over rural NC is enjoyable and seeing the Triad at rush hour from the train as well. For disclosures sake I personally live on the Stars route in Columbia. And go to school on the Meteors route in Florence.
I concur. I am user of the Atlantic Coast service from Florida to travel north. The Meteor is basically a "flyover country" train to get to Florida ASAP on an appropriate schedule to do so. The Star takes you on a more enjoyable route, incidentally, also with much richer en route connectivity possibilities.
 
My first question was whether this proposed trip was in hurricane season. Then you posted (#8?) a note that it was. That could make a big difference. In my experience, we have occasionally had delays due to hurricanes, grade crossing incidents, or mechanical breakdowns of Amtrak or freight trains. These delays are not likely to be great enough to cause you to miss your ship, but they could be. I have seen passengers who have been faced with that dilemma.

My advice is to travel on the previous day and hopefully arrive on time. Then you can do a bit of leisurely sightseeing, get a good night's sleep in a hotel, do some more sightseeing in the early part of the day, and then board your ship.

No stress. No risk of losing the money you spent on tickets.

Enjoy your cruise.

Tom
 
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