1. How crowded will it be? Leaving 7/3 at 9 pm. Hoping to get a window seat and no neighbor.
It really varies, I haven't taken the Crescent much, but it often depends on the day. If you do end up with an empty seat next to you, feel free to stretch out a bit, but make sure that you can quickly and easily migrate back into your designated seat, in the event that someone boards and does need that seat.
The Crescent has been experiencing frequent delays lately, so according to
this site (which I love), the average delay on the southbound Crescent departing Charlottesville, is 23 minutes. Meanwhile, the average delay of the Crescent into Greensboro is 51 minutes.
3. Can I bring adult beverages?
Coach passengers are not allowed to consume their own alcoholic beverages onboard. If you buy a hard beverage in the snack car or dining car, you are allowed to consume it there, but not at your seat. Just to emphasize this,
you can not consume any alcoholic beverages that you brought onboard yourself, regardless of what car you're in.