2 adults plus a baby in a roomette?

[orulz]

We are considering a trip to Florida from North Carolina this October, and I have some AGR points to burn. This would be for myself, my wife, and a 9 month old. Has anybody done this sort of trip before? Any advice? (Up to and including "don't do it" if that is what you think - just don't suggest that we go with a bedroom instead, since that's not an option.)

The baby will probably sleep most of the trip, since it an evening departure and a morning arrival in both directions.

I was thinking we would probably sleep with me on the top bunk and the wife and baby sharing the lower bunk. Also I am thinking that the baby will want to get on the floor and play around a bit in the morning after waking up - is there any reason that wouldn't work? (ie, lots of sharp corners or low-mounted electrical outlets?) I guess we'll bring a blanket to put down since the floor is probably pretty hard.

 

[George B]

We are considering a trip to Florida from North Carolina this October, and I have some AGR points to burn. This would be for myself, my wife, and a 9 month old. Has anybody done this sort of trip before? Any advice? (Up to and including "don't do it" if that is what you think - just don't suggest that we go with a bedroom instead, since that's not an option.)

The baby will probably sleep most of the trip, since it an evening departure and a morning arrival in both directions.

I was thinking we would probably sleep with me on the top bunk and the wife and baby sharing the lower bunk. Also I am thinking that the baby will want to get on the floor and play around a bit in the morning after waking up - is there any reason that wouldn't work? (ie, lots of sharp corners or low-mounted electrical outlets?) I guess we'll bring a blanket to put down since the floor is probably pretty hard.

Unless you and your wife are both under 5’ 10” and weight less than 170 pounds each, it will not be very comfortable with a baby. Plus, the Roomettes really don’t have any floor space at all.

Short answer……..it is doable, but not advisable. Have you been in a Roomette before, or will this be your first trip in a sleeper?

 

[dlagrua]

Roomettes are very small sleeping compartments. If your wife is a petite slender woman of 5"3" or so then the baby should be able to fit in the bunk with her but it will be very tight. Perhaps there would be room at the very end of the bunk where her legs are but this is assuming that Amtrak will even allow it. The lower Viewliner roomette bunk is 6' 6" long but a narrow 28" wide. Measure out this area in your own bed and see how the fit might be, the call Amtrak to see what they have to say. You might be better off with a bedroom.

 

[yarrow]

a few years ago we did a roomette with a baby for an 8 hour trip. no problems that i recall. don't know about putting the kid on the floor though. the baby could get bonked on the seat bottoms, door and such. with the top bunk up, the bottom bunk could be a good spot to play as long as a parent is sitting on the bunk with the kid.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Since a Viewliner Roomette has more room than a Superliner one, don't see why it wont work! Most of us prefer sleeping in the top bunk when by ourselves, your plan sounds feasible to me! Remember that the top bunk can be lowered up and down vertically, it doesnt fold out from the wall so youll have more headroom up top and the double windows also make it nicer! With the toliet and sink being in the room that takes up some room, dont really see how the baby can crawl on the floor but if you put the bottom beds down there would be room for one of you and the baby to play/nap. Go for it!

 

[Shanghai]

I would not put a baby on the floor because the floors are not clean.

It would be tight with the beds down plus there is barely enough space

for two adults. If you have the points, a bedroom would be a better choice.

 

[BuzzKillington]

I did a roomette on the LSL last year with a 6 month old. I'd strongly advise against it if you (or your wife) want to get any sleep at night. The bottom bed is just not big enough to fit a baby and an adult, especially if the child likes to move around at night. I didn't do so bad on the top bunk by myself though. :lol:

On the way out, we had a full bedroom and that worked great as it was much roomier on the bottom bed.

 

[chandj]

Spouse and I took our 8 month old to DC from Pittsburgh in a roomette--but it was a Superliner so no toilet in the room (yay!) It worked fine and I'm 5'6' and about 135 lbs (I could be lying by 5 pounds). Baby slept on bottom bunk with me. As PP's have said, there isn't much room to play on the floor as I recall. I would do it again (except now he's 3 and I so can't picture how that would work in a roomette! We had to call Amtrak, btw, as the online system wouldn't put 3 of us in the same roomette. Have fun!

 

[orulz]

I note that among the respondees who have actually done this, there are 2 people who said no problem, and one who recommended against it.

My wife and I are both tall (5'8 and 6'1.)

Maybe I should sleep with the baby since I can get by OK on zero sleep if it just isn't in the cards.

I have 31,500 AGR points and was not too keen on buying my way up to 40,000 for a bedroom both ways, but maybe I will reconsider based on the advice from this thread. Alternatively, I could buy up to 35,000 and get a bedroom ONE way. (Probably on the way there - so we can sleep better and enjoy the vacation.)

Another disappointment - the station I usually use, Cary, NC, has plentiful free parking but no checked baggage service. It is being expanded and turned into a staffed station with checked baggage. The renovations were originally supposed to be done in September, but it looks like they've pushed the date back to October, well past the date of my trip. So I will have to board in Raleigh and pay $50 to leave my car in a nearby parking deck.

 

[me_little_me]

We just got back from NOL yesterday for round trip from Atlanta. We had a roomette and the son & daughter-in-law had a BR going and roomette returning on an 11 hour daytime trip with an 11 month old.

They felt that the roomette was just too small although when we had the baby, he played fine between us in the roomette with little danger of getting hurt (if you use pillows to protect the table area. Note he can stand up for longer periods than a 9 month old (he is just starting to walk on his own) so this makes it easier than having him just sit on the floor. As to dirty floors, use a towel or cloth. He also liked sitting on the table watching the world go by outside (with us holding him.