"Handicapped" roommette for the able-bodied?

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Big Green Chauvanist

Big Green Chauvanist

Service Attendant
Joined
Jan 25, 2009
Messages
122
Location
Seattle, Washington
I was "upgraded"--I call it an upgrade, on the EB recently. I had room 13 and was sandwiched in between an extended Amish family. The SCA kindly offered me use of the "handicapped" roomette as it was empty and not expected to be used for the duration of the trip. And if by chance it were to be, I'd need to vacate. I think it's got to be even better than a bedroom since there are windows on both sides and comes equipped with a toilet. And of course the shower is steps away. I assume this was an exception. In other words, the "handicapped" roomette can never be booked by an able-bodied person, correct, even when not otherwise occupied? And only in cases like mine would it be offered to an able-bodied person at all, as an upgrade for someone already in another roomette in the same car? In any event I appreciated the gesture and it was great to have my own "facilities". By the way, the SCA was the best I have ever had--one Zachary, young kid, very helpful and far from being jaded.
 
If all other rooms are booked (or at least all bedrooms), the handicapped room becomes available to book if you're booking within 14 days of travel.
 
I was once moved to the H room when it turned out the lower bed in my roomette (lower-level) was broken and couldn't be put down. The SCA said I could either use the upper bunk or take the H room.

After getting his assurance no one had booked the H room along the way (didn't want to get turfed out in the middle of the night, with the possible added anger on the part of the person who booked it), I took it. It is nice because it has its own bathroom. But I'd never presume to try signing up for it on a regular trip.
 
Shortly after my back surgery, I had the H room on a Viewliner. It was a nice

room, spacious and with a large bathroom. It was comfortable. The electrical

outlet was in the front wall (cords were on the floor across the room) and on several

occasions, passengers would open the door thinking it was on the path to their room.

I locked the door after the third intrusion.
 
I got put in there once on the Cap. I don't recall if it was a late booking (I think it was; I think this was the same trip I got credited for three different reservations at once, which would mean I rebooked at the last minute) or I was moved for some reason, but I agree that it is a very nice room.
 
The Viewliner H Room is by far the best Room available anywhere on Amtrak. You feel like you are in your own private car, especially if you leave the front door open during the day and use the vestibule/corridor as your porch (providing you don't mind folks wandering by and sometimes getting confused and peeking in wondering who you are).
 
I agree that the H room on the superliner is terrible. Due to a missed connection in Chicago, I was "upgraded" from roomette to the H room on the Cap Ltd. I did like having the sink, but having the toilet right there out in the open was kind of gross. Plus, the windows are smaller than roomette or bedroom windows. Yes, there are windows on both sides, but in order to look out one of them you have to sit on the toilet.

Another issue is the entry door. Unlike the family bedroom at the other end of the hall, the H room has a sliding door which normally does not stay closed unless it is locked. So every time the train goes around a corner the door either opens or slams shut. Locking when inside and jamming a folded up route guide in the track when outside is an easy fix for this.

Also, the common restrooms and shower are just outside the room, so you hear slamming doors and flushing toilets at all hours. I really prefer using the downstairs facilities when I'm traveling in an upstairs roomette, but having a room right next to them is not fun.

I guess my biggest issue is just with the toilet cleanliness. In a regular bedroom, the toilet can be closed off and it isn't so integrated into the common space.

I'm with The_traveler: I'd much rather have a roomette than the Superliner H room. My trip on the Cap Ltd was even more unpleasant because it was during the time that there was no Sightseer Lounge so I was trapped in a room that I despised.
 
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From personal experience I also agree it is the worst. Our last auto train trip was at the end of April, and while in Virginia I fell and fractured my arm. Advised I would probably need surgery and in terrible pain, we needed to get home fast. We were able to change to an earlier departure and get the H room. Granted I was in terrible pain, but the room itself was awful in terms of providing what I needed for help. Trust me, I didn't care that the bathroom was in the open, the problem was I couldn't get to it from my seat without help from hubby. The bar placement for aid in movement is awkward and insufficient. And I didn't have a wheelchair to move around because the sca suggested not to use it in the room, and I don't think it would have helped. The other huge problem was that I had to sit up and there was no way to protect myself from the swaying and rough ride. It was horrible. But the sca and station staff(they were prepared with wheelchair assistance)at both ends took great care of me.
 
My thanks to the last two posters for their candid comments. While I'm not bothered by the location of the commode (I've still got an outhouse!) the other drawbacks are significant ones. Besides, the commode in a Viewliner Roomette doesn't seem so much different to me as it, too, is "right there" for use when nature calls.
 
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While the toilet is not in a separate annex, IIRC there is a privacy curtain one can use if you need to use it while sharing the cabin....so it is not quite "out in the open"...
 
Love the H room on the viewliner, I always try to book it when I have my disabled daughter with me and book it for myself if within 14 days and no one has booked it. It is nice and spacious although I have yet to take a shower in there. It is awesome. I would only feel bad if someone needed it after I booked it within 14 days of trip.
 
railiner said:
While the toilet is not in a separate annex, IIRC there is a privacy curtain one can use if you need to use it while sharing the cabin....so it is not quite "out in the open"...
Click to expand...
I can't see you behind that curtain, but I can still....
 
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I'm with those who say the "H" Room on a Viewliner is Amtrak's Best, and the "H" Room on a Superliner it's Worst Sleeping Accommodation!

I'd rather go Coach on a Superliner on a One Night trip than be in the H Room! YMMV
 
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I guess I'm a little surprised that so many think room H on the superliner is terrible. Now admittedly, I was single. Perhaps with two in the room it might get [a little] awkward, but I liked having the toilet in the compartment. But mostly it was the roominess of the space. When the bed is made up in a typical roomette, there is literally no space to "work with". Very difficult to maneuver should one need to use the common restroom in the middle of the night. In H there is so much space for a single traveler. Anyway, I liked it for the ample space and the in-room toilet.
 
Although She Who Must be obeyed and myself are eligible to use the H room, I stay away from it on the Superliner as I can echoe the comments above. The open toilet and folks wandering in thinking it is a shower are a real hassle. We handle the stairs once to use regular accommodations. I avoid it like the plague even if it is only at the cost of a roomette.
 
So what bedroom should I get on a Superliner. I was thinking H room on Superliner would be just as awesome as H room on Viewliner. Are there any bedrooms on Superliner that compare to H room on Viewliner. Are which is the best bedroom to have?
 
There are five bedrooms on a normal Superliner. I prefer E, but there is not a large difference.

I prefer E because it is close to the stairs. Others prefer something further away from the refreshment stand. As noted in a different thread, bedroom A has no door to an adjacent room, so it cannot rattle and the sound insulation is presumably better. There is less floor space in A.
 
cassie225 said:
So what bedroom should I get on a Superliner. I was thinking H room on Superliner would be just as awesome as H room on Viewliner. Are there any bedrooms on Superliner that compare to H room on Viewliner. Are which is the best bedroom to have?
Click to expand...
No Superliner Bedrooms compare with the H Room on a Viewliner.
All things considered, IMO, Bedroom E is the best since it is located in the middle of the car for a smoother ride, close to the Stairs, Coffee Station and SCAs Room, and if the Sleeper is hooked up facing the front( luck of the draw),the couch will face forward. For the same reasons, Room C is second choice. B would be 3rd, D 4th and A Last.

Another consideration, if available @ a Low Bucket, is the Family Bedroom (#15 Downstairs)) which has lots of Space, windows on both sides and is close to the Luggage Rack, Shower,Entrance/Exit Door and the Bathrooms.
 
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Jim, please explain why C is your second choice rather than D. As I read your comments, D is better than C on every count, since "luck of the draw" is not a valid criterion.

You have a good point with the Family bedroom. Years ago, it was available for roomette price, and I would book it because I was scheduled to get off in the middle of the night. There was room to do the final packing and no stairway to negotiate. Alas, Amtrak raised the rate.
 
Willem: I pick C second because if E has the Couch facing forward, ( luck of the draw) so will C. I don't like riding facing backwards. YMMV. All things considered, if I'm by myself, I prefer a Roomette to a Bedroom except for the H Room on a Viewliner!

I've been in the Family room several times, and while I don't like downstairs Rommettes or the H Room in a Superliner, thought it was nice for the same price as a Roomette as you said!
 
Thanks, Jim.

Riding backwards is doable, but not preferable. That is one advantage to the roomette over the bedroom for solo travel: there is a seat facing forward.
 
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