Crescent roomettes

[Carolg]

My husband and I are travelling on the Crescent from New Orleans to New York in late May.

We booked a roomette for this trip. I have subsequently spoken with a couple who travelled in a roomette (however, this was on the CZ) and they said that the husband had to climb up to the upper berth by stepping on a ledge on the lower berth and then hoist and pull himself up. I had thought that these roomettes had ladders to help passengers get onto the upper berth.

My husband is 73 years old and might have problems (as would I) having to pull himself up onto the upper berth. Also how would he climb down if he had to go to the bathroom during the night?

Worried.

Carolg

 

[AlanB]

Carol,

I won't pull the wool over your eyes and say that he'll be able to just spring up into the upper bunk. However as someone whose ridden in both types of sleepers, the Superliner used on the CZ and the Viewliner that you'll see on your trip, it is much easier to get into the upper bunk on the Viewliner car.

In the Viewliner, the bed is tapered at the foot of the bed. This allows for a lot more room to manuver oneself into the upper bunk. Additionally in the Viewliner, one first steps on the toilet lid, then steps on the shelf that supports the sink, when its down, to reach the upper bunk. There is also a nice handle to hold onto to help pull yourself up into the bunk. There is also more headroom in the upper bunk here, making it easier to get into bed.

None of those features exist in the Superliner car. In the Superliner the upper bunk is 2'4" for its entire length. Additionally the steps as they are, aren't as wide nor as convienent to use.

Only the bedrooms on both train styles have an actual ladder.

 

[Chatter163]

While I wait for Mr. Norman to chime in on this topic, I will sound the advance call and state that despite having two beds, a roomette is still an ideal accomodation for one, rather than two, pasengers. The bedroom, which has the aforementioned ladder, is better for two persons of post-college age. The roomette is too cramped, especially at night, when the beds are down. It costs more, but it is worth it, I think. B)

 

[Midland Valley]

This is off topic but speaking of roomettes on the Crescent, the last time I rode in a viewliner roomette, it had a little tv that shoed the same movie over and over. Did they take those out, I never hear about them? They were on the Lake Shore Lmtd. This was in 97 or so when they were pretty new.

 

[AlanB]

This is off topic but speaking of roomettes on the Crescent, the last time I rode in a viewliner roomette, it had a little tv that shoed the same movie over and over. Did they take those out, I never hear about them? They were on the Lake Shore Lmtd. This was in 97 or so when they were pretty new.

Last I knew the screens were still in place, however Amtrak didn't seem to be getting the movies on tape anymore, so there was nothing to watch.

 

[Chatter163]

When I rode the Crescent in November, the screens were still there. Northbound there was nothing shown, but southbound there was. It depends on the attendant and the state of the equipment. But clearly the equipment's days are numbered.

 

[City of Miami]

It (the video) was working on #20 on April 4th. I paid no attention to it whatsoever.