When I rode the empire builder we got the same box you described, but there was no choice. I don't think there is a choice for breakfast?bratkinson--
The breakfast that I chose (and you had a choice) on the Portland section of the Empire Builder was a cold ham and cheese sandwich, cut-up fruit, a normal yogurt (not that Greek stuff that we're all supposed to take to immediately because it's "healthier"), and a truly delicious blueberry crumble. Even though it was in a box, it looked and tasted delicious.
I wouldn't object at all if the breakfast quality on the CL and LSL were that good.
(Of course it did not hurt that I got to eat it while riding along a lovely river....)
A few weeks ago I had the option of a "vegetarian" box, or one of two boxes with different cold cuts. I took the "vegetarian" box which had a serving of ham and cheese packaged up, with a croissant, a very small serving of yogurt, a small slice of blueberry crumble and 4 or 5 chunks of fresh fruit. A label on the box marked it with "HAV" and the date, so I'm thinking the box was loaded/made in Havre, MT?When I rode the empire builder we got the same box you described, but there was no choice. I don't think there is a choice for breakfast?bratkinson--
The breakfast that I chose (and you had a choice) on the Portland section of the Empire Builder was a cold ham and cheese sandwich, cut-up fruit, a normal yogurt (not that Greek stuff that we're all supposed to take to immediately because it's "healthier"), and a truly delicious blueberry crumble. Even though it was in a box, it looked and tasted delicious.
I wouldn't object at all if the breakfast quality on the CL and LSL were that good.
(Of course it did not hurt that I got to eat it while riding along a lovely river....)
The pictures of the breakfast box on the capitol and lake shore look higher quality to me. Not saying I'm a fan of either but if I had to choose I would choose the CL/ LSL option.
Oh, great...the frakkers are probably going to use this transfer to "dress up" the new service financially. I'd pay that for a decent steak dinner in the diner, but the idea of billing that for the breakfast in question is absurd. I'd dare say it borders on fraud even compared to the worst such "games" played with the diners.
The difference is that the EB breakfast had protein (ham and cheese, even if no egg), which is, in my mind, crucial in a breakfast.When I rode the empire builder we got the same box you described, but there was no choice. I don't think there is a choice for breakfast?bratkinson--
The breakfast that I chose (and you had a choice) on the Portland section of the Empire Builder was a cold ham and cheese sandwich, cut-up fruit, a normal yogurt (not that Greek stuff that we're all supposed to take to immediately because it's "healthier"), and a truly delicious blueberry crumble. Even though it was in a box, it looked and tasted delicious.
I wouldn't object at all if the breakfast quality on the CL and LSL were that good.
(Of course it did not hurt that I got to eat it while riding along a lovely river....)
The pictures of the breakfast box on the capitol and lake shore look higher quality to me. Not saying I'm a fan of either but if I had to choose I would choose the CL/ LSL option.
No way! My guess the price includes the amenity kit, one free alcohol, unlimited soft drinks, etc as it would be a big effort to figure out who in the sleepers is not entitled to the other things.
As you pointed out, a labor factor has to be included in the cost of a high salt box lunch The catering company has to buy, inventory, pack and deliver all the items in a package.in a refrigerated truck. Then they must be loaded on the train, distributed and someone must then take out the garbage. The dining car becomes the lounge so where is the terrific savings that will bring the cars to profitability? Amtrak just gets to reassign and/or put 3 or 4 people out on the street and that's about it..
That is nothing to sneeze at when you look at the cost of those three or four people....per train...per trip. It is a savings or redirecting of their salaries, benefits, training and lodging costs. Additionally, a lot of the costs are now borne by the catering company.
There are a lot of steps taken to get the food to the train...and back. It is when you combine ALL of them, that you come up with this sort of figure. It is how Sen Mica came up with the (insert high number) hamburger cost.
This ten thousand times.
PVD has, and he posted all about it a couple pages back. He didn't mention if there were tablecloths or not, but if you look at a photo Train_Freak took of the sleeper lounge from the outside, you can see through the window that the tables are bare.
