Are guests allowed to visit our Bedroom?
- Thread starter Jstanovic
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Ryan
Court Jester
Shouldn't be a problem.
Amtrak George
Lead Service Attendant
The answer is basically no. The people in first class pay extra for the privilege of their own rooms and for not having to share the car and its facilities (including restrooms, coffee, bottled water, aisle space, etc. with coach passengers. There are also security reasons not to have the sleepers open to visitors. Sleeping car passengers pay a premium price for their privacy. Coach passengers are not supposed to go into the sleepers.
I would suggest meeting in the lounge car for visits. It is also possible (check with an onboard service crew member) to see if you can be seated together in the dining car at meals; while this may or may not work, it's worth a try.
Not trying to be a killjoy, but that's my understanding of the situation
I would suggest meeting in the lounge car for visits. It is also possible (check with an onboard service crew member) to see if you can be seated together in the dining car at meals; while this may or may not work, it's worth a try.
Not trying to be a killjoy, but that's my understanding of the situation
Thanks...I am sure they will want to see the rooms....get away from the crowd...even have a glass of wine... 25 and 27 years old. My wife bought the trip as my 60th birthday present. This is our first cross country trip.
I rode the Red Arrow Express from Moscow to St. Petersburg twice with a friend. Had a nice size room...but it is an overnight trip..so not much scenery.
Thanks for your prompt response!
I rode the Red Arrow Express from Moscow to St. Petersburg twice with a friend. Had a nice size room...but it is an overnight trip..so not much scenery.
Thanks for your prompt response!
Ryan
Court Jester
It'll be fine. Don't be annoying about it, keep it reasonable (don't have them in and out of the car all day), keep it quiet and don't try to pass them off as sleeping car passengers to get free meals.
Do that, and I doubt that anyone will notice.
Do that, and I doubt that anyone will notice.
Texan Eagle
Conductor
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Both the above replies are correct. Legally coach passengers are not allowed to enter Sleeper cars, but it is not an iron curtain. If you be nice to the sleeping car attendant, tell them they are your kids and just coming for a visit, they will not prohibit them from coming in. But as someone mentioned above, if you try to take advantage of this situation, for example, letting your kids take a dozen servings of coffee and juice that's kept for sleeper passengers, the attendant may not take kindly to that.
caravanman
Engineer
I was in a roomette on the Zephyr 2 years ago and a woman nearby got friendly with a guy from coach... She seemed to have no problem "entertaining" him in the privacy of her roomette for an afternoon, and judging from the trash can, they enjoyed a nice bottle of wine. I honestly think if you are discreet, sensible and upfront, you should not have any problem.
Happy 60th!
Ed
Happy 60th!
Ed
Cho Cho Charlie
Engineer
If they want to enjoy first class (sleeper class), then tell them to buy themselves a first class ticket.
Hopefully, the train staff will be doing their job, and will make sure that all coach passengers stay in coach, and out of the sleeper cars.
R
R30A
Guest
I have never had a problem allowing others to ride in my sleeper. As long as you let the attendant know, you should not have trouble.
This sums up things nicely as to how things will probably play out (and should IMHO).
amamba
Engineer
I have a problem when there are lots of pax in the hallway, because a roomette is a very tight. But if the OP had a bedroom, there is plenty of room in there for four adults to sit in the seats and have a glass of wine.
OP, sure, have your adult children come visit and just be respectful.
OP, sure, have your adult children come visit and just be respectful.
Visitors have been permitted in the past but the sole discretion of the SCA will prevail. If it is done in a quiet manner he/she will probably say yes, but bear in mind that this is against the rules. When my son gets to travel with us; I see no reason why he should not have a sleeper as well. I have trouble with parenst that take the best for themsleves and leave the substandard for their children. That's a terribly selfish thing to do.
amamba
Engineer
Are you implying that coach is substandard?
And I would hope that adult children - ages 25 and 27 - can buy sleepers with their own money if they so choose.
jsreeves
Train Attendant
More than likely, you won't have any "neighbors" that have this attitude and cause a potential problem.
Shortline
Conductor
Your room, bring whomever you want to it.
crescent2
Conductor
This forum is very, very helpful, but sometimes there are a few posts that come across as cranky.
I understand the situation with your children. I see nothing wrong or selfish in adult children riding in coach while you and your wife have a sleeper. They are adults and presumably choose their own travel arrangements. Enjoy your trip!
I understand the situation with your children. I see nothing wrong or selfish in adult children riding in coach while you and your wife have a sleeper. They are adults and presumably choose their own travel arrangements. Enjoy your trip!
D.P. Roberts
Conductor
I agree with previous posters that short visits probably won't be a problem - especially if it's just 2 people visiting 2 bedrooms. However, as others have mentioned, if everyone was trying to "get away from the crowd" in coach by hanging out in the sleeper, then the sleepers would be crowded instead, which would defeat the point of paying more to be somewhere less crowded! I know it's not what you intended, but a lot of people have posted a similar question to yours, trying to figure out a way around the rules. For example, asking if a family of 6 or 8 could pay for one bedroom and just switch off sleeping there, etc., which just isn't allowed. So, it's a policy that can be pushed "reasonably", but lots of people have pushed it unreasonably, so be aware of that.
Also, if you've never been in a bedroom before, please be aware that the 6 of you won't be able to hang out in a bedroom together. It can seat maybe 4 adults, tops. So, if the 6 of you want to hang out, you're better off going down to the lounge car.
Ryan
Court Jester
Unless the 2 bedrooms are together and combined into a suite. Then you're still sort of cut off from one another, but in the same big room.
lthanlon
OBS Chief
Has the proliferation of geosocial networking apps on mobile devices led to more conjugal sleeping-car visits? Perhaps this feature can be added to and promoted on the Amtrak app: "Now both you and our Superliners can get hooked up in San Antonio!"
Edited to fix link.
Edited to fix link.
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Nathanael
Guest
The bedroom is effectively a hotel room, and most SCAs treat them that way. Result: you are normally able to have an invited guest visit. But not overnight. Which is pretty much the standard rule for hotel rooms. It's not unheard of to use a bedroom on a train for a business meeting; this used to be fairly common in the days of private railroads; and that's usually considered OK. On the other hand, any attempt to have more people sleeping in the room than authorized is not OK. Similarly, having visitors hang out in the halls is not OK, and having visitors use the "free perks" is not OK. Follow the rule of thumb, "Would this be OK if this were a five star hotel room on land?" and you'll probably be fine.
On my recent trip in a sleeper on the CZ, there were several different individuals and couples brought into the sleeper at times during the daytime -- accompanied by the car attendant -- to see what the accomodations were like. Perhaps they were interested in a future reservation of space.
I would certainly recommend asking the conductor or a sleeping car attendant to accompany your children to your room from coach. I believe is becoming more cautious -- for security reasons -- about having "strangers" walking through the sleeping cars. I know that if I were traveling in a sleeper on the CZ and left my room for a few hours to observed the scenary in the Superliner Lounge Car, I wouldn't want passengers from non-sleeping cars walking through the sleeping cars. Remember -- an unoccupied roomette or bedroom can NOT be locked from the outside.
I would certainly recommend asking the conductor or a sleeping car attendant to accompany your children to your room from coach. I believe is becoming more cautious -- for security reasons -- about having "strangers" walking through the sleeping cars. I know that if I were traveling in a sleeper on the CZ and left my room for a few hours to observed the scenary in the Superliner Lounge Car, I wouldn't want passengers from non-sleeping cars walking through the sleeping cars. Remember -- an unoccupied roomette or bedroom can NOT be locked from the outside.
caravanman
Engineer
Equating an Amtrak sleeper with a 5 star hotel made me smile, the rules might be the same, but not the number of stars!
One thing that does not make me smile is the notion that folk who are able to afford more expensive accomodation on a train are somehow more honest? Seems a slur to be concerned about coach passengers yet somehow be unconcerned about dozens of sleeper passengers passing the unlocked bedrooms?
I have travelled tens of thousands of Amtrak miles overnight in both coach and sleeper, and I would always get a sleeper for overnights if I could afford it... just for the comfort of lying flat to sleep... I find the coach environment a much more interesting environment as a foreign tourist!
Ed
One thing that does not make me smile is the notion that folk who are able to afford more expensive accomodation on a train are somehow more honest? Seems a slur to be concerned about coach passengers yet somehow be unconcerned about dozens of sleeper passengers passing the unlocked bedrooms?
I have travelled tens of thousands of Amtrak miles overnight in both coach and sleeper, and I would always get a sleeper for overnights if I could afford it... just for the comfort of lying flat to sleep... I find the coach environment a much more interesting environment as a foreign tourist!
Ed
Devil's Advocate
⠀⠀⠀
I don't consider sleeper customers to be better or worse than coach customers and I don't care if you bring your kids in to visit, adult or otherwise. Just be sure to remember that the walls are thin and not everyone keeps to the same schedule. If you stay out of the hallway and keep the noise level down so your neighbors can take a nap while you're visiting then I don't see any problem with this arrangement. Like others said be aware that the SCA may have a problem with it if it appears you're trying to slip something past them, but so long as you're friendly and discreet I doubt it would be a major issue.
LOL!
Oddly enough the five star hotels I've stayed at were among the least concerned about breaking house rules.
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