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Amtrak Viewliner Roomette Trip Report: Silver Meteor 98 CHS-NYP

Amtrak Viewliner Roomette Trip Report: Silver Meteor 98 CHS-NYP

Old Jul 22, 2013, 7:59 pm
  #16  
 
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Thanks for the great trip report. I took the City of New Orleans to CHI in coach because last-minute airfares were sky high (pardon the pun) and I really enjoyed the experience. I'll have to give the roomette a try next time I'm on a long-term trip!
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Old Jul 25, 2013, 7:32 am
  #17  
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Originally Posted by brewdog11
I took the City of New Orleans to CHI in coach because last-minute airfares were sky high (pardon the pun) and I really enjoyed the experience. I'll have to give the roomette a try next time I'm on a long-term trip!
Those North-South routes are the best value for Amtrak Guest Rewards redemptions, you can really find some amazing value in those points.
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Old Nov 21, 2013, 1:18 pm
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by jackal
It is funny, though, how much the shape of that sink does look like a toilet bowl...
That was my thought exactly, and I was completely grossed out at the thought of brushing my teeth in the same basin that I (or someone else ) had been using as a toilet! Yechhh! Thanks for the clarification, Globehopper.

I am vaguely contemplating the Roomette option for a trip to New Orleans (Crescent) at some point in the future. I've never used a sleeper accommodation on an Amtrak train, though. The one question I have is: are you stuck sitting in your Roomette for the whole trip, except for mealtimes? It seems like it would be (a) claustrophobic, and (b) lonesome/boring, if you're traveling solo. I don't really do a lot of talking to others when I travel anyway, but it is nice to at least be around other people if you're doing a 28-hour trip.

Last edited by travelmad478; Nov 21, 2013 at 5:28 pm
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Old Nov 21, 2013, 4:13 pm
  #19  
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Originally Posted by travelmad478
That was my thought exactly, and I was completely grossed out at the thought of brushing my teeth in the same basin that I (or someone else ) had been using as a toilet! Yechhh! Thanks of the clarification, Globehopper.

I am vaguely contemplating the Roomette option for a trip to New Orleans (Crescent) at some point in the future. I've never used a sleeper accommodation on an Amtrak train, though. The one question I have is: are you stuck sitting in your Roomette for the whole trip, except for mealtimes? It seems like it would be (a) claustrophobic, and (b) lonesome/boring, if you're traveling solo. I don't really do a lot of talking to others when I travel anyway, but it is nice to at least be around other people if you're doing a 28-hour trip.
No, you do not need to stay in your room when not in the diner. In addition, you should have access to the parlor car (if available) and observation car. No guaranteed seating, but usually you can find something. Some trains even have movie theaters available.
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Old Nov 24, 2013, 4:39 pm
  #20  
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Originally Posted by RogerD408
No, you do not need to stay in your room when not in the diner. In addition, you should have access to the parlor car (if available) and observation car. No guaranteed seating, but usually you can find something. Some trains even have movie theaters available.
Unfortunately, there aren't any Sightseer Lounge or Pacific Parlour cars on the Crescent.

If you crave human company, you can go to the cafe and sit at one of the tables and see if anyone else is interested in chatting. Otherwise, the experience is much more social on the western trains with Sightseer Lounges and (on the Coast Starlight) Pacific Parlour cars.
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Old Dec 10, 2013, 7:25 am
  #21  
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Originally Posted by travelmad478
That was my thought exactly, and I was completely grossed out at the thought of brushing my teeth in the same basin that I (or someone else ) had been using as a toilet! Yechhh! Thanks for the clarification, Globehopper.

I am vaguely contemplating the Roomette option for a trip to New Orleans (Crescent) at some point in the future. I've never used a sleeper accommodation on an Amtrak train, though. The one question I have is: are you stuck sitting in your Roomette for the whole trip, except for mealtimes? It seems like it would be (a) claustrophobic, and (b) lonesome/boring, if you're traveling solo. I don't really do a lot of talking to others when I travel anyway, but it is nice to at least be around other people if you're doing a 28-hour trip.
Originally Posted by RogerD408
No, you do not need to stay in your room when not in the diner. In addition, you should have access to the parlor car (if available) and observation car. No guaranteed seating, but usually you can find something. Some trains even have movie theaters available.
Originally Posted by jackal
Unfortunately, there aren't any Sightseer Lounge or Pacific Parlour cars on the Crescent.

If you crave human company, you can go to the cafe and sit at one of the tables and see if anyone else is interested in chatting. Otherwise, the experience is much more social on the western trains with Sightseer Lounges and (on the Coast Starlight) Pacific Parlour cars.
The Cresent, and other other normal sleeper cars, have a dining car with a full service restaurant:


The restaurant is a good place to meet people while dining but, given that they're usually busy or at capacity, it likely won't often be allowed to get a coffee and hang out for long.

On routes without sleeper cars, like the Palmetto, which has only a Economy Class and Business Class cars, there is a Cafe Car:


The Cafe car is definitely a good place to bring the laptop, grab a coffee and hangout for a while.



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Old Dec 10, 2013, 11:23 am
  #22  
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Originally Posted by jmgriffin
The Cafe car is definitely a good place to bring the laptop, grab a coffee and hangout for a while.
Yeah, but it kinda pales in comparison to this:





(Here's a much better picture, but it's too huge to post in the thread, so I'll just link it.)
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Old Dec 11, 2013, 6:07 pm
  #23  
 
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Originally Posted by jmgriffin
On routes without sleeper cars, like the Palmetto, which has only a Economy Class and Business Class cars, there is a Cafe Car.

The Cafe car is definitely a good place to bring the laptop, grab a coffee and hangout for a while.
It needs to be mentioned that all Eastern routes with sleeper cars (e.g., Crescent) also have a cafe car similar to the one shown. It's no sightseer lounge, but is a place to hang out.
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Old Dec 11, 2013, 7:49 pm
  #24  
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Originally Posted by jobtraklite
It needs to be mentioned that all Eastern routes with sleeper cars (e.g., Crescent) also have a cafe car similar to the one shown. It's no sightseer lounge, but is a place to hang out.
Do they have cafe cars or just dining cars?
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Old Dec 12, 2013, 9:55 pm
  #25  
 
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Originally Posted by jmgriffin
Do they have cafe cars or just dining cars?
Both! Except the Cardinal which has a Combo Diner/Cafe called a Diner Light!

Last edited by jimhudson; Dec 12, 2013 at 10:00 pm
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Old Dec 23, 2013, 6:54 pm
  #26  
 
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Hope they get rid of the in-room toilet!

I love Amtrak and have traveled overnight several times, but always from Chicago going west. Have avoided going east because of that in-room toilet. Ewww! No woman would have designed that! Thanks for the nice trip report.

Forgot to add, those sleeping in the upper bunk in a superliner (that would be me) do not have a window. I believe the viewliners have an upper window. Was that nice?

Last edited by Susan4; Dec 23, 2013 at 7:33 pm
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Old Dec 30, 2013, 8:20 am
  #27  
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Originally Posted by Susan4
I love Amtrak and have traveled overnight several times, but always from Chicago going west. Have avoided going east because of that in-room toilet. Ewww! No woman would have designed that! Thanks for the nice trip report.

Forgot to add, those sleeping in the upper bunk in a superliner (that would be me) do not have a window. I believe the viewliners have an upper window. Was that nice?
Yep, the Viewliners do have an upper window but it's not really all that necessary. The rooms are so tight that you'll only want the bunk to be down when it's time to sleep which is likely when it's pitch black dark outside. I too am often the one that gets stuck on the top bunk and only think I used the window once or twice to peek out and try to gain a sense of which station we had stopped at. Here's the best picture I have showing the window:

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