Is there a route to Florida on the train?

[Shanghai]

The Amtrak station in Tampa is about a mile from the cruise terminal. (It looks like less than a mile on a map, but you can't get there in a straight line.) If the Amtrak schedule and the cruise schedule don't align, there are several hotels in downtown Tampa; room rates vary a lot depending on whether there is a major convention in town.

The last cruise we took from Tampa left from a terminal across from the downtown port

requiring us to cross a river. We were on a Holland America ship.

 

[pennyk]

The Amtrak station in Tampa is about a mile from the cruise terminal. (It looks like less than a mile on a map, but you can't get there in a straight line.) If the Amtrak schedule and the cruise schedule don't align, there are several hotels in downtown Tampa; room rates vary a lot depending on whether there is a major convention in town.

I have walked from the Tampa Amtrak station to the cruise terminal (with no luggage). I am pretty sure I could walk it with my roller bag.

 

[johnny.menhennet]

Cruise travelers do have one more Florida option, and that is the Port of Jacksonville. The Carnival Fascination is Jacksonville-based and usually offers 4-5 day Bahamas cruises. Amtrak JAX is not far from the cruise port, although if you plan to (wisely) arrive the day before sailing, then note that decent lodging is closer to the port, not the train station.

Jacksonville is another very good option as mentioned if you would like to go to Florida. The prices are usually somewhat more reasonable because Jacksonville is not a port one would usually think of leaving from. I think though, that if you were taking the Capitol Limited to ashington DC and the Silver Meteor to Jacksonville, you might not need an extra day there. The Meteor arrives JAX at 9:23a, which gives you almost 6 hours until you would even board the ship for a 5p departure. If you are considering JAX as an option, I just thought I would put that out there.

 

[AlanB]

The Amtrak station in Tampa is about a mile from the cruise terminal. (It looks like less than a mile on a map, but you can't get there in a straight line.) If the Amtrak schedule and the cruise schedule don't align, there are several hotels in downtown Tampa; room rates vary a lot depending on whether there is a major convention in town.

I have walked from the Tampa Amtrak station to the cruise terminal (with no luggage). I am pretty sure I could walk it with my roller bag.

Next time walk to the trolley and ride that downtown.

 

[cindylou]

We just went out of New Orleans last week on a cruise. Have gone out of NYC also. Have gone out of Seattle and California also. Just looking at a Florida departure since they offer some different cruises than the ones we have taken. Was just trying to figure out how it could be done going on a train. If we could even go out of Bloomington, Illinios, even better.

Gingee, we've done the trip 3 times Chicago-DC-Florida for cruises. Not a bad trip, and you "usually" have time for some great sight-seeing in DC if your trains are on time. Also, have you considered Galveston? We're sailing from there next winter for the first time. And the Texas Eagle crosses right through Bloomington...we'll have to drive 5 hours from central Iowa just to catch the train. :angry2:

Cindy

 

[Ozark Southern]

We just went out of New Orleans last week on a cruise. Have gone out of NYC also. Have gone out of Seattle and California also. Just looking at a Florida departure since they offer some different cruises than the ones we have taken. Was just trying to figure out how it could be done going on a train. If we could even go out of Bloomington, Illinios, even better.

There are five daily departures from Normal, IL, toward Chicago, three of which will allow you to make the connexion to Washington. It's important to know the differences between the trains. The Lincoln Service trains have coach seats placed close together, or Business Class is available for extra leg room and wider seats if desired. The Texas Eagle has no Business Class, but its coach seats have about as much leg room as the Lincolns' Business Class seats. First class is available, as well, but it's pretty steep ($144) for this short of a trip. The big difference is that the Lincolns offer a very limited cafe, while the Texas Eagle has the same cafe with a little better menu, and also a full diner and a lounge car with big windows and big, comfortable chairs. Given the choice, I'd take the Texas Eagle.

Lincolns do offer a little better scheduling flexibility. Lincoln #300 departs Normal at 7:31, and arrives in Chicago at 10:00. Lincoln #302 departs Normal at 9:46, and arrives in Chicago at 12:20. Texas Eagle has three numbers--#22, #322, and #422--but they all go to Chicago, and a ticket for any of these three gets you a seat on the same train, and all amenities are exactly the same. If you choose the Texas Eagle, just buy whichever is cheapest. It departs Normal at 11:08 and arrives in Chicago at 1:52.

The other two trains, Lincoln #304 and #306, are not recommended as they arrive too late for valid connexions. Lincoln #304 gets you into Chicago at 8:40, well after the 6:10 departure of the Capitol Limited. You can connect from #304 to the Lake Shore Limited to New York, but you'll have to spend the night there and wait for the next day's Silver Star or Silver Meteor. #306 is the very last train into Chicago each night, and as such doesn't connect to anything; you'll have to spend the night in Chicago.

So if you want the most time in Chicago, choose Lincoln #300 at 7:31. If you need more time to get ready in the morning, choose Lincoln #302 at 9:46. If you want the most train amenities, choose the Texas Eagle at 11:08. Any way you go, it'll be a pleasant trip. Have fun!

 

[VentureForth]

There are three cruise lines that offer train discounts. Norwegian (V357), Carnival (V602) and Holland American (V785). The discounts can only be applied with a reservation number in hand and calling Amtrak directly. Must be for a trip from anywhere to any of the port cities (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Charleston, Jacksonville, etc, but probably NOT Gavleston/Houston). Arrival date must be a day prior to cruise departure. Not all train lines are included (like a bunch of the smaller in-state lines and the LSL - presumably because it can't be used for a direct route to a cruise port).

The discounts are substantial - but it looks like there are so many restrictions, it would be hard to score. For example, the NCL discount is 15% for a sleeper (!) and 20% for the rail fare. But it has to be in the "D" bucket (how the heck can the average user know when a "D" bucket is available???)

So, to answer the OP, as have many others already, there is a route to Florida from Chicago. It's through Washington, DC.

 

[Gingee]

Maybe the routes arent as bad as I thought. We have taken the two day route to LA from Galesburg. River cruises are very expensive. Thanks for all the info.