Roomettes on the City of New Orleans

[steveb]

I am making my reservations next week for a Jan 14-17 trip from St. Louis to New Orleans (via Chicago Union Station). I have never traveled on a long distance train before. I was planning on making reservations online. If I do make these reservations online, is there a way to pick my City of New Orleans roomette or are they assigned? Also, what is it like on the City of New Orleans for a solo traveler like myself?

If anyone will be traveling to New Orleans on those dates let me know.

 

[saxman]

Welcome to long distance train travel! I love traveling alone on Amtrak, and do so often. Being in a roomette is the perfect size for one person too and you should enjoy your trip. That said, you won't be able to select which room you have when you make reservations online. Only after you buy the ticket, they will let you know your room number. If you don't like the room you've been assigned, I believe you can call Amtrak and maybe ask them if you can change rooms. IMO though, I believe every room is equal in quality. Except if you prefer to be on the lower level. (1 thru 10 is on the upper level, 11-14 on the lower) Make your reservation soon though. Rooms can fill up quickly. I'll be coming through New Orleans soon, but it won't be until Feb. sometime.

 

[daveyb99]

Let me add that if you call reservations, and IF they have more than one room at the current fare, they could give you an option to choose. Otherwise, be ready to take whatever assignment amtrak.com gave you cause they don't like to do swapping around -- see, all rooms have a set price. To change from a lower price to a higher price takes some energy.

Which leads to my biggest beef: why not let customers select their own room !!! If airlines can do it with seat assignments, why not AMTRAK.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Which leads to my biggest beef: why not let customers select their own room !!! If airlines can do it with seat assignments, why not AMTRAK.

There are only so many rooms, so if people dont get the one they want they will complain and since they'll be on board with the person who "stole their room" it could cause tension between parties.

 

[had8ley]

Also be mindful that they may book you in the tranistion dormitory car. This has roomettes only on the upper level and is where the crew stays during your journey. You may, or may not, want to book in this car. There are as many opinions about this car as there are posters. Personally, I really don't care to be right next to the engine if there is no baggage car which is the case on the City of New Orleans.

 

[Chatter163]

There are only so many rooms, so if people dont get the one they want they will complain and since they'll be on board with the person who "stole their room" it could cause tension between parties.

???

 

[NativeSon5859]

If possible try to get a room in the 5910 car. That should be the car right next to the Diner. You can see the car number on your ticket, and you can ask them to change it if it shows 5911, and generally they will as long as there are rooms available and the fare bucket is the same. While there is nothing wrong with the rooms in the 5911 car (the transition dorm/sleeper, aka, crew car which sells revenue space), I find having a room in the regular Sleeper is a little less noisy, since as had8ley mentioned, there generally is no baggage car on the CONO, so the 5911 car would be right next to the engine.

 

[Montanan]

As far as roomettes go, my preference would be for any of the rooms numbered 3 through 8. Room 1 is typically reserved for the attendant's use, and Room 2 suffers a bit from proximity to the upper-level restroom. Rooms 9 and 10 are next to the vestibule, so they ca be a bit noisier and the ride a bit rougher. Rooms 11-14 are in the lower level and are fine, but I think the views are better from the upper level. If you have a roomette with a number higher than that, it means you're in the transition dorm car.

 

[the_traveler]

Which leads to my biggest beef: why not let customers select their own room !!! If airlines can do it with seat assignments, why not AMTRAK.

There are only so many rooms, so if people dont get the one they want they will complain and since they'll be on board with the person who "stole their room" it could cause tension between parties.

That argument is about the same as saying that on a plane, if you wanted seat 13-A but someone else took it and you were "stuck" taking 14-A, would you not be stuck on the same plane with the person who "stole your seat"? True, it may not be a 46 hour trip - but how about if it were trans-ocean and a 15 hour trip? :huh:

 

[AlanB]

If possible try to get a room in the 5910 car. That should be the car right next to the Diner. You can see the car number on your ticket, and you can ask them to change it if it shows 5911, and generally they will as long as there are rooms available and the fare bucket is the same. While there is nothing wrong with the rooms in the 5911 car (the transition dorm/sleeper, aka, crew car which sells revenue space), I find having a room in the regular Sleeper is a little less noisy, since as had8ley mentioned, there generally is no baggage car on the CONO, so the 5911 car would be right next to the engine.

Unless there is some odd reason that the City is not following normal consist rules, the Trans/dorm won't be the 5911 car. Amtrak groups like cars when they assign consist numbers, and the Trans/dorm is not a like car to a regular sleeper. Therefore it should be in a different range of numbers from the regular sleeping cars. I'm not sure what group of ten they'd assign the Trans/Dorm to, but it shouldn't be the 10's.

For example on the SWC, the regular sleepers are all 30 something, 330, 331, 332. The Trans/dorm is the 440 car.

 

[NativeSon5859]

If possible try to get a room in the 5910 car. That should be the car right next to the Diner. You can see the car number on your ticket, and you can ask them to change it if it shows 5911, and generally they will as long as there are rooms available and the fare bucket is the same. While there is nothing wrong with the rooms in the 5911 car (the transition dorm/sleeper, aka, crew car which sells revenue space), I find having a room in the regular Sleeper is a little less noisy, since as had8ley mentioned, there generally is no baggage car on the CONO, so the 5911 car would be right next to the engine.

Unless there is some odd reason that the City is not following normal consist rules, the Trans/dorm won't be the 5911 car. Amtrak groups like cars when they assign consist numbers, and the Trans/dorm is not a like car to a regular sleeper. Therefore it should be in a different range of numbers from the regular sleeping cars. I'm not sure what group of ten they'd assign the Trans/Dorm to, but it shouldn't be the 10's.

For example on the SWC, the regular sleepers are all 30 something, 330, 331, 332. The Trans/dorm is the 440 car.

Maybe it was the 5920 then. Thanks for reminding me. I guess I had the Crescent on my mind.

 

[Montanan]

The earlier parts of this discussion bring to mind a question. Several times on this board, I've seen the statement that Amtrak's reservation agents can switch you to a different room, but only if there's one available at the same bucket as the room you reserved. Assuming you're on a train where all the cars have the same endpoints, this would imply that specific rooms are assigned specific price buckets.

My assumption has always been different -- that a specific number of rooms are assigned each price bucket. If that's the case, a change to an equivalent-sized room would always be possible, provided there's any unsold space remaining at all ... since after the switch, the train would still have the same number of vacant rooms as before.

I know that when the online reservation system assigned me to a lower-level roomette once a couple of years ago, the reservation agent was able to switch rooms instantly, no questions asked.

Does anyone know how this works?

 

[AlanB]

The earlier parts of this discussion bring to mind a question. Several times on this board, I've seen the statement that Amtrak's reservation agents can switch you to a different room, but only if there's one available at the same bucket as the room you reserved. Assuming you're on a train where all the cars have the same endpoints, this would imply that specific rooms are assigned specific price buckets.
My assumption has always been different -- that a specific number of rooms are assigned each price bucket. If that's the case, a change to an equivalent-sized room would always be possible, provided there's any unsold space remaining at all ... since after the switch, the train would still have the same number of vacant rooms as before.

Well you're right that a specific number of rooms are assigned to each bucket level. But after that, each room on the train is then assigned a specific bucket within the various groups. So for the sake of arguement, let's say that it's decided that five low bucket rooms on tomorrow's Capitol. That means that say for example, that room #2 #3, & #11 in the 2900 will be assigned to the low bucket price and room #2 & #11 will be assigned low bucket in the 2901 car to make up the block of 5 rooms at low bucket. Then they'll go to work on the next bucket level, which might have 4 rooms in the block.

For Wednesday's train, it might be decided that only 4 low bucket rooms will be available, while 5 are at the next bucket level. That would mean that on Wednesday's trian that room #3 in the 2900 car would not be a low bucket room.

Now a good agent knows how to swap rooms from a higher bucket level with rooms from a lower bucket level. This can be useful for those who really don't like a particular room or for example someone traveling with 3 other companions who ends up with room #2 and #11, but would like rooms at least on the same level and preferably across the hall from one another or next to one another. Obviously if the room across the hall is already sold, the agent cannot juggle that under normal circumstances (I have seen one exception). But they can swap rooms otherwise.

The issue seems to be that either most don't know how to do it, don't want to be bothered doing it, or perhaps the few agents who are doing it really aren't supposed to be doing it.

 

[Montanan]

Many thanks, Alan ... that clarifies things a lot.

I would imagine they actually have the computer initially assign those bucket levels to individual rooms ... it's be a chore otherwise.

 

[spot1181]

Just phone and ask. We have friends joining us on our next trip and called their reservation and chose the room across from us, same price as online. Spot