Bedroom for only one passenger?

[Bill631]

Hello all,

I have yet another question regarding sleeping accommodations for my upcoming Texas trip.

On my last trip, which was aboard the Capitol Ltd, and the Texas Eagle, I had a standard roomette.

On these trains, the rommettes are the smaller ones. I began to feel just a little bit claustrophobic in them

on my last trip, as they are very tiny and there is hardly any room between the seat/bed and the door.

Anyway, I was wondering if on my future trip I could reserve a "bedroom", but just for myself. I would of course, be willing to pay the higher price. But I just wondered if Amtrak had any rules about single passengers booking a bedroom. I though maybe they wanted a minimum of two passengers to a bedroom.

I will most likely again be on the same trains again.

Any comments or suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Bill

B)

 

[AlanB]

Bill,

I've booked many a bedroom as a solo passenger. As long as you pay the rate quoted, Amtrak doesn't care if you put one or two people in the room. In fact they might even prefer just having one person, as that lowers the meal costs for them and increases profit.

 

[Chatter163]

Bill,
I've booked many a bedroom as a solo passenger. As long as you pay the rate quoted, Amtrak doesn't care if you put one or two people in the room. In fact they might even prefer just having one person, as that lowers the meal costs for them and increases profit.

I do if frequently, especially when Amtrak Guest Rewards is paying.

 

[jphjaxfl]

I was in a Family Bedroom once by myself from Chicago to Emeryville because the bedrooms were already booked and I preferred not to have a roomette for the longer trip.

 

[MrFSS]

The other thing to think about is, reserve the roomette and then see if a bedroom is available after you board. Sometimes you can upgrade for less than what the roomette originally cost and get a refund, yet move into the bigger room. Depends on which bucket you reserved the roomette, and, of course, if there is a bedroom available. You take a chance in doing this that one may not be there, especially in heavy travel times.

 

[Trogdor]

In fact they might even prefer just having one person, as that lowers the meal costs for them and increases profit.

I would assume that the additional rail fare would cover the incremental costs of the extra food served (which could very well be lost to spoilage if not served, anyway).

 

[AlanB]

In fact they might even prefer just having one person, as that lowers the meal costs for them and increases profit.

I would assume that the additional rail fare would cover the incremental costs of the extra food served (which could very well be lost to spoilage if not served, anyway).

I'm quite certain that the additional rail fare is how Amtrak covers the extra food. That's why Amtrak is so reluctant to allow free travel for a companion in a sleeper.

However spoilage should not be an issue, since Amtrak would know in advance how many passengers are in the room and would be able to load the required meals appropriately.

 

[Guest]

Just a little novelty: there's a woman who takes a week-long roundtrip every November from ABQ to LAX and back on a Christmas shopping excursion. She buys an enormous amount of merchandise in LA, but has someone to help her load it on the train. She also buys TWO bedrooms (aka deluxe sleepers) for just herself and the merchandise! I guess when you've gotta shop, you've gotta shop...

 

[amymaree]

hey there,

what are the issues involing others visiting your room on board the train, we are having friends go with us and they have children whom i would like to have in our room doing crafts and games they are all little, would the train attendents much rather have five young children in my room then in the lounge playing or in coach being childrne. they range in age from five to eight.

until i read again,

amy

 

[Chatter163]

There is no room for five children in a bedroom. This is a better activity for the observation car.

 

[had8ley]

hey there,
what are the issues involing others visiting your room on board the train, we are having friends go with us and they have children whom i would like to have in our room doing crafts and games they are all little, would the train attendents much rather have five young children in my room then in the lounge playing or in coach being childrne. they range in age from five to eight.

until i read again,

amy

This is an issue that would most probably be resolved on board. Amtrak has posters that state only ticketed first class passengers are allowed in the sleepers. I just don't know how long it would be before your neighbors complained about five kids, plus all the adults in one room, no matter how well behaved. (The walls are not very well insulated from neighboring noises.) That's assuming the attendant gives you permission to "visit." Bear in mind~ he or she has the authority to send you, with children, back to the coach and there is really nothing else you can do. You said it all, "JUST being children." They have to accomodate them in the coach seat you paid for and of course the diner and lounge car are open to all passengers. Don't want to burst your balloon but it is better to be prepared than to expect something that could or could not happen. Hope you enjoy your trip and do get to visit.

 

[Guest]

hey there,
what are the issues involing others visiting your room on board the train, we are having friends go with us and they have children whom i would like to have in our room doing crafts and games they are all little, would the train attendents much rather have five young children in my room then in the lounge playing or in coach being childrne. they range in age from five to eight.

until i read again,

amy

If they want to ride first class, they should purchase first class accommodations instead of coach. It would be unfair to the paying passengers not to do so, whether or not it is allowed.

 

[amymaree]

hey there,

as for paying for first class for them since they are riding free i was not able to put two of them in the bedroom with me, so they are in coach with my husband. i have tried to get them in but it seems to be more of an issue of them being free, which i cannot seem to understand why they could not be in the room since i paid for it. i have called several times but the issue of them riding free is once again preventing them from being in the room. as for the five children, in the room they would be watching movies and are old enough to understand being queit. we were trying to make it easier for the other guests on the train especiall in coach not to have them all playing games or talking. at an attempt to be polite to others on the train i was only trying to find a solution to not annoying other passengers.

but as one of you stated it is up to the train attendant in my car. hopefully he/she will understand the complexity of the situation and help me out. being a strict parent they know better then to be loud and scream in public places.

to the person who stated i should pay for them, try coming up with a solution to why when kids ride free they cannot be in a room. or if you know let me in on this because it does not make sense in my opinion.

amy

 

[Guest]

The maximum occupancy rules which Amtrak enforces are because meals are included in the price of accomodations. I'm sure they don't want to feed 6 or 8 people in a room for which the fare was only designed to provided meals for 2 or 3. These limits probably also help to keep the the trip more pleasurable for all passengers as there is a limited amount of space in water and waste tanks in each car, so they want to limit the number of passengers using them.

On my trips, there have always seemed to be more children in coach than in sleepers, so I wouldn't worry about upsetting coach passengers.

If they want to ride first class rather than coach, you should probably purchase an additional room.

 

[amymaree]

interestingly enough i called yesterday and spoke with a supervisor who added my daughter to the room, i told her i did not want the meals just the little ones in the room with me. she was very happy to accommendate my request so i was able to use my noggin to research deeper into the web world and found some old rules regarding the kids ride free promos and it clearly stated that a free ticket does not matter to whether you are in coach or a bedroom, you pay one fee for the room and can have up to the occupancy of the room which in the accessable room is three. it did take three phone calls to get the situation taken care of.

well you say there are other children in coach so that is good to know. we are traveling with another family who is in coach also.

now the next question: is there reserved seating in coach or do we get that when we board the train? we want to have the rest of my family and the other family together.

until i read again,

amy

 

[AmtrakCrescent20]

interestingly enough i called yesterday and spoke with a supervisor who added my daughter to the room, i told her i did not want the meals just the little ones in the room with me. she was very happy to accommendate my request so i was able to use my noggin to research deeper into the web world and found some old rules regarding the kids ride free promos and it clearly stated that a free ticket does not matter to whether you are in coach or a bedroom, you pay one fee for the room and can have up to the occupancy of the room which in the accessable room is three. it did take three phone calls to get the situation taken care of.
well you say there are other children in coach so that is good to know. we are traveling with another family who is in coach also.

now the next question: is there reserved seating in coach or do we get that when we board the train? we want to have the rest of my family and the other family together.

until i read again,

amy

I here assume you will be boarding one of the Silver Service trains. There is no advanced reserved seating, but everyone on a reserved train (such as the Meteor) is entitled to a seat. On the Silver Service, the car attendant will assign you seats upon boarding. This means that he/she should assign you seats together, and you won't run into a situation where only individual aisle seats are available. Having teh other family with you may be a problem, if the train is full. Assuming you are boarding in Orlando, there should be enough room. If you are boarding in Winter Park or north of there, both families may not be seated next to each other. It also depends on the car attendant, whether he/she is willing to honor your request.

 

[amymaree]

thank you, it is my husband who gets to sit in coach not me, i have to lay down at times and my son has aspergers so it is going to be interesting to see how he does. but the little girl going with us he is smitten with so i think he will be in the lounge car hanging out with her and me sitting nearby.

amy