M
Mom of train loving family
Guest
Hi all,
This summer is our third trip aboard the Auto Train. Our round trip departs on one son's birthday and returns two weeks later on the other son's birthday, at their request!
We have seen some changes on the Auto Train in the last couple years and I wondered if anyone could recommend the right way to bring cake aboard (or not) to celebrate their birthdays. We are staying in two roomettes. We usually tell our wait staff at dinner and with a big tip they kindly tell the other diners when they bring our dessert and all join us in song, which is wonderful and one of our favorite parts of the trip.
This year as I scheduled our trip, my agent heard my story and asked me why I didn't bring a huge cake for everyone to share? She said she knew the staff loved when people brought cake, as well as the other passengers. I thought it was a great idea also, and never thought it would have been permitted.
I knew I could check in here for advice. I did see another thread from 4 years ago about cakes and it referred to the federal policy against handling outside food by train staff.
Could anyone advise me? I haven't wanted to inconvenience the already busy staff, but if giving them a tip and a treat is what they usually expect, then I want to do it!! But throwing away the majority of a large cake that the four of us squeezed into one roomette to eat doesn't sound fun.
This summer is our third trip aboard the Auto Train. Our round trip departs on one son's birthday and returns two weeks later on the other son's birthday, at their request!
We have seen some changes on the Auto Train in the last couple years and I wondered if anyone could recommend the right way to bring cake aboard (or not) to celebrate their birthdays. We are staying in two roomettes. We usually tell our wait staff at dinner and with a big tip they kindly tell the other diners when they bring our dessert and all join us in song, which is wonderful and one of our favorite parts of the trip.
This year as I scheduled our trip, my agent heard my story and asked me why I didn't bring a huge cake for everyone to share? She said she knew the staff loved when people brought cake, as well as the other passengers. I thought it was a great idea also, and never thought it would have been permitted.
I knew I could check in here for advice. I did see another thread from 4 years ago about cakes and it referred to the federal policy against handling outside food by train staff.
Could anyone advise me? I haven't wanted to inconvenience the already busy staff, but if giving them a tip and a treat is what they usually expect, then I want to do it!! But throwing away the majority of a large cake that the four of us squeezed into one roomette to eat doesn't sound fun.