Cardinal lounge/dining for sleeper car only?

[Bierboy]

It’s been nearly 20 years since I’ve traveled the Cardinal (we’ve been going west and south from CHI for all of our trips). Another couple is joining us for a sleeper (bedrooms) trip from IND to WASH in September. My question is this - is the dining/lounge car strictly for the sleeper customers? This is what Amtrak says -

• Exclusive onboard lounge space for Sleeping Car customers to dine and socialize 24/7.

We will miss not having the SSL like the western LD routes have, but this statement made me wonder of this car is “reserved” on the Cardinal. If anyone has recently traveled the Cardinal, I’d appreciate your insight. Thanks!

 

[TylerP42]

It’s been nearly 20 years since I’ve traveled the Cardinal (we’ve been going west and south from CHI for all of our trips). Another couple is joining us for a sleeper (bedrooms) trip from IND to WASH in September. My question is this - is the dining/lounge car strictly for the sleeper customers? This is what Amtrak says -

• Exclusive onboard lounge space for Sleeping Car customers to dine and socialize 24/7.

We will miss not having the SSL like the western LD routes have, but this statement made me wonder of this car is “reserved” on the Cardinal. If anyone has recently traveled the Cardinal, I’d appreciate your insight. Thanks!

Recently the cafe car is off limits except to order food/ drinks due to COVID. Not sure of how it was before COVID.

 

[IndyLions]

Unless something changes, the Cardinal only has a café lounge – it does not have a diner, nor does it have anything considered a first class lounge.

If this remains the same post Covid, then at least a portion of the café lounge will be available to all passengers at all times.

The seating portion of the lounge closest to the sleepers will be off-limits to coach passengers at least during meal times, when sleeper passengers are served their meals. I believe most crews keep these booths empty even during non-meal times, but I’m not 100% sure.

 

[TylerP42]

Unless something changes, the Cardinal only has a café lounge – it does not have a diner, nor does it have anything considered a first class lounge.

If this remains the same post Covid, then at least a portion of the café lounge will be available to all passengers at all times.

The seating portion of the lounge closest to the sleepers will be off-limits to coach passengers at least during meal times, when sleeper passengers are served their meals. I believe most crews keep these booths empty even during non-meal times, but I’m not 100% sure.

This is how I see cafe-lounge cars ran, with half coach half sleeper car areas (except for SSL) being run before COVID (Have never ridden Cardinal pre-covid).

 

[jiml]

Unless something changes, the Cardinal only has a café lounge – it does not have a diner, nor does it have anything considered a first class lounge.

If this remains the same post Covid, then at least a portion of the café lounge will be available to all passengers at all times.

The seating portion of the lounge closest to the sleepers will be off-limits to coach passengers at least during meal times, when sleeper passengers are served their meals. I believe most crews keep these booths empty even during non-meal times, but I’m not 100% sure.

Definitely the pattern on our last Cardinal trip. Even before Covid and diminished dining, the Cardinal food service wasn't very good. The attendants did the best with what they had.

 

[MARC Rider]

On my last pre-covid trip on the Cardinal in November 2019, the side of the cafe-lounge closest to the sleepers was reserved for sleeping car passengers, and we could sit there most of the time, if we wished. The other side of the cafe-lounge was for the coach passengers.

 

[Bierboy]

Thanks everyone for the input!