smurfmom
Train Attendant
I’m going to ride the rails .... which is the best roomette to ask for? My reservation is complete... when do I sign up for dinner times? Any helpful tips?
Milwaukee to Seattle
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Maglev
Conductor
If your reservation is complete, you have already been assigned a Roomette number. On your PDF ticket, in the box with the train number and date, your room number appears under the origin station. All Roomettes are "good"! The dining car steward will come through the train and give meal reservation times.
The tip I give out most is to be prepared to not have much luggage in your room because there is very little extra space. There is a luggage rack downstairs for suitcases, so you can just bring a small bag or backpack into your room.
The tip I give out most is to be prepared to not have much luggage in your room because there is very little extra space. There is a luggage rack downstairs for suitcases, so you can just bring a small bag or backpack into your room.
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Like Maglev said, all roomettes are good. However, some people prefer certain ones for their own reasons. Lots of people like #2, because it is right across from the attendant's roomette, and right next to the coffee urn and the restroom. I prefer 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 because they are a little further from the restroom (think slamming door in the middle of the night) and not at the car end where people open and close the door to the next car (those are #9 & 10). If you have 11-16, those roomettes are downstairs, on a stub hallway (usually quiet unless you have a noisy family in the family room at the end of the hallway), and there are THREE toilets and a shower conveniently located on that floor, across the vestibule.
Your roomette is already assigned when you buy the ticket, but if you don't like what you are given, you can call Amtrak back and request a MODIFICATION of your reservation to change your roomette number. They CAN do it at the same price, so if the agent tells you it will cost more to change, be sure and ask for a supervisor. If you don't get what you want for out of the call, you can always thank them politely for trying, and say "no, I guess I don't want to change it right now." Then call back later and try a different agent. I repeat, they CAN modify your reservation without charging you more.
As to meal reservations, I think breakfast is always first-come first-served, and they will announce when the dining car is open. Lunch sometimes requires reservations, sometimes not, and dinner always requires reservations (unless it's "contemporary dining"? I haven't had that experience yet, so don't know how it works). The Lead Service Attendant (LSA) will announce that they are coming through the cars to take reservations. They do sleepers first, so be sure and head back to your room immediately if you are in the Sightseer Lounge (SSL) and you hear the announcement. They will give you a choice of times. Again, there's no such thing as one "best time" for all people, but if you have dietary restrictions or it's the second day of a two-day train, you might want to consider an earlier reservation, as they tend to run low on menu choices.
Your roomette is already assigned when you buy the ticket, but if you don't like what you are given, you can call Amtrak back and request a MODIFICATION of your reservation to change your roomette number. They CAN do it at the same price, so if the agent tells you it will cost more to change, be sure and ask for a supervisor. If you don't get what you want for out of the call, you can always thank them politely for trying, and say "no, I guess I don't want to change it right now." Then call back later and try a different agent. I repeat, they CAN modify your reservation without charging you more.
As to meal reservations, I think breakfast is always first-come first-served, and they will announce when the dining car is open. Lunch sometimes requires reservations, sometimes not, and dinner always requires reservations (unless it's "contemporary dining"? I haven't had that experience yet, so don't know how it works). The Lead Service Attendant (LSA) will announce that they are coming through the cars to take reservations. They do sleepers first, so be sure and head back to your room immediately if you are in the Sightseer Lounge (SSL) and you hear the announcement. They will give you a choice of times. Again, there's no such thing as one "best time" for all people, but if you have dietary restrictions or it's the second day of a two-day train, you might want to consider an earlier reservation, as they tend to run low on menu choices.
