Plka,As a new Amtrak traveler, I am just learning the ropes...we are booked in a sleeper car, and understand that our meals are included in the cost. Is there a cost limit per meal or per day, or are all meal choices available at no cost? Sounds like a pretty tempting menu
Each person in your room(ette) gets a meal. You get an entree', dessert & beverage from the menu. You have to pay for alcoholic drinks. Cafe/SSL food is not free, just the meals in the dining car.As a new Amtrak traveler, I am just learning the ropes...we are booked in a sleeper car, and understand that our meals are included in the cost. Is there a cost limit per meal or per day, or are all meal choices available at no cost? Sounds like a pretty tempting menu
I believe that appetizers, even if on the dining car menu, are not included with Sleeper passenger's meals.
The Service Standards Manual says a second can of soda (or second bottle of water) is supposed to be given free to sleeper passengers upon request.
I don't recall seeing any appetizers on Amtrak dining car menus. Dinners typically come with a salad, but that's included automatically.
Unfortunately, too many Amtrak employees not only can't read but have nobody teach them the manual. That is the only reason <_< I can think of as to why the manual is so widely ignored and why management fails to either enforce the manual or modify it to make it more closely match reality.
In a way, you can do that. If you are riding solo and heading for dining car from the SSL, you can ask your coach co-passenger to accompany you, and just go and sit at the diner as if you both are sleeper passengers, order, eat, tip and walk away. The dining car attendants only ask your roomette number, they don't ask how many people are there in that roomette. I have done this once. I was a coach passenger with a friend in roomette and the sleeper friend invited me to join him for dinner. The staff assumed we both are in roomette and gave "free" food to both of us.
Did you sign both "checks"?
If memory serves me you have a choice of two: Chicken tenders - yes or no.
Of course you have to pay for them.That is technically theft of services and if the LSA catches you they could ask you to pay for the meal. And they might even tell the conductor who could decide to call the police or throw both of you off the train.
In the incident I mentioned, once seated in the Diner, we told the LSA that we are traveling together but one of us is in roomette and one in coach, she herself suggested that she can offer dinner to both passengers under the sleeper passenger's roomette number. Needless to say, we tipped her well for the "generosity"
Again, it might depend on the LSA, but about 1/2 the time, I have been asked to show the wait-person my ticket stub. Though, I guess if they see you checking it yourself for your car and room number, they might be good enough.
I remember Chicken Wings, and Chips/Salsa for lunch, and Chicken Wings, Chips/Salsa, and Shrimp Cocktail for dinner. Though, that was a while ago.
I'd be happy to join anyone for dinner but I'll happily and gladly pay for mine.
yes, and I have often left the diner and gone directly to the lounge car without anyone asking any questions. I'm pretty sure that I am not the only one so I don't think anyone is going to be suspicious of this activity.
Well that is vastly different than what you originally suggested, which would indeed be considered theft of service.
Absolutely! That's perfectly acceptable. Amtrak doesn't care who pays for the meal, as long as it's not Amtrak.
