D
deoghi
Guest
I am traveling on train 5 this week from Chicago to Reno and was wondering service hours of the dining car. I was told that sleeper car passengers can reserve dining times in advance. Is this correct?
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For dinner, yes. Although the procedure can vary from train to train, and even crew to crew, most commonly your sleeping car attendant will offer you several sittings for dinner. You can choose time one you want. Then, you head to the dining car when your sitting is called (or just head down at the time since the PA systems are not always working).deoghi said:
For breakfast and lunch, it is first come; first served.
The Chief
Lead Service Attendant
deoghi,
In Dec. 2002, I took the California Zephyr from Chicago to Sacramento.
Having breakfast right after you leave Denver is nice, as you begin the climb into the Rockies, and it's really pretty.
Here's a link to the new summer Dining Car menus:
http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/Dining_Car_Menu.r5.pdf
WB Zephyr should have Menu 3. Enjoy!
In Dec. 2002, I took the California Zephyr from Chicago to Sacramento.
Having breakfast right after you leave Denver is nice, as you begin the climb into the Rockies, and it's really pretty.
Here's a link to the new summer Dining Car menus:
http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/Dining_Car_Menu.r5.pdf
WB Zephyr should have Menu 3. Enjoy!
deoghi, when you ask about reserving "in advance" I wonder if you meant in advance of your trip, or once on the train. As PRR correctly answered, you usually reserve dinner, once on board.(but policies differ, as he noted). But if you were asking about reserving it before your trip began (like reserving your setting on a cruise ship) the answer is no.
D
deoghi
Guest
Thank you all for the helpful and informative information. Are there set meal times on every train?
Example: Breakfast 6-9AM, Lunch 11-1PM, Dinner 5-8PM?
-deoghi-
Example: Breakfast 6-9AM, Lunch 11-1PM, Dinner 5-8PM?
-deoghi-
Amtrak Watcher
Lead Service Attendant
Yes, there are set times for all three meals; the diner is not open all the time. The times vary with the train and the crews, but they are what you would expect. If you need something when the diner is closed, there is a snack lounge on the lower floor of the observation car, which is open from early in the morning until late at night.
Amfleet
Engineer
Set times are as followed:
Breakfast: 6:30am-9:30am (board by 9:00am)
Lunch: 11:30am-2:30pm (board by 2:00pm)
Dinner: 5:00pm-9:00pm (board by 8:30pm - reservations required)
Breakfast: 6:30am-9:30am (board by 9:00am)
Lunch: 11:30am-2:30pm (board by 2:00pm)
Dinner: 5:00pm-9:00pm (board by 8:30pm - reservations required)
battalion51
Engineer
Most trains offer three seatings for dinner, 5:00, 6:30, and 8:00. Then there are some trains that offer more flexible times. AlanB has seen trains where they seatings every 15 minutes, so it just depends on the crew.
Amfleet
Engineer
Or your could be on a train like the Capitol Limited that serves Dinner after 10pm or even mid-night!!!
Superliner Diner
Conductor
Yes, they've been known to call an 8:00 seating at, say, 8:30. It all depends on how the service was on the previous seatings, and how quickly they can clean up and prepare for the next group.jccollins said:
And I keep on harkening back here to my Capitol Limited experience this past Saturday night ..... the word "late" is quite an understatement! I can't wait to finish the report so you can all understand just how bad things were! <_<
Superliner Diner and Alan B., any chance you guys have exchanged notes to see if you had the same crew each time on the Capitol?
Bill,
We haven't compared notes yet. However, I don't really remember the names of my crew either, perhaps when we do compare notes there maybe something that Kevin knows that will trigger a memory for me.
On the other hand, I kind of have to think that it was the same crew. While I suppose that it's possible, I can't imagine that Amtrak has two horrible diner crews on that route. My guess is that it's the same crew.
We haven't compared notes yet. However, I don't really remember the names of my crew either, perhaps when we do compare notes there maybe something that Kevin knows that will trigger a memory for me.
On the other hand, I kind of have to think that it was the same crew. While I suppose that it's possible, I can't imagine that Amtrak has two horrible diner crews on that route. My guess is that it's the same crew.
For awhile, all dining car crews on 48 and 49 were nasty. So I think it is possible for one train to have more than one bad crew. 
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