ScottRu
Service Attendant
THE CRESCENT - FEB. 25-26, 2013 2/26/13
My grand journey from Boston to New Orleans began with the pedestrian Amtrak Regional 171 to Penn Station. It was a comfortable, smooth ride which got me to NYP with 2 hours to spare. (Couldn't see paying $100 more for the Acela just to have more time to wait at Penn Station.)
I went through chaotic Penn Station to Club Acela, which is pretty grungy and crowded. The staff was efficient but unenthusiastic. The highlight was a super Red Cap, whose name unfortunately I did not get. He gathered up all of us on car 2010, which happened to include an incredibly motley crew of heavy and distracted and slow individuals (myself included) - all very pleasant and enjoyable to be with, but getting them down track 8 was like herding chickens. I ended up carrying my own bags because the Red Cap's 'trolley' was over-flowing. (And so far as I could tell, I was the only one to tip him.) Nonetheless, he kept his humor and got us all down to the train before the SCA had even arrived.
The SCAA, Dwayne, was young and very pleasant. He would do anything you asked, but you had to ask ... otherwise he was something of a Ninja. I only saw him once that first day after he introduced himself upon our arrival. That was when I happened to meet him in the hall and I asked if he could put my compartment in sleep mode. He said, "sure" and showed up in a few minutes. He began making the bottom bunk and was surprised when I told him I'd be sleeping on top (I'm traveling alone this time, and obviously he knew that). He prepared the upper bunk, smiled, and disappeared. I next saw him when he was eating breakfast the next morning.
(At the very end, as we were waiting for the train to crawl into the New Orleans station, we got to talk more. He's a fine gentleman, based in New Orleans. Hopefully he'll become a bit more proactive in the future because he has the personality to be a really top notch SCA.)
Roxroy Jeffers (our Dining Car Attendant) was another matter altogether. A larger than life 13 year ("14 years soon!") Amtrak veteran who has served almost exclusively on The Crescent, was a delight. A sardonic soul whose humor was not immediately apparent, he plied his trade efficiently, effectively...and never lost sight of the fact that he wanted his customers to have a good experience and a fun experience. I'll definitely write a note to Amtrak commending Roxroy.
For some reason, people like to comment on the food, so here goes. Roxroy warned me off the 'special,' which was lamb. (Others had it and said the slice of lamb was both huge and good.) I went with the steak, which was fine...the vegetables and the diet-busting cheesecake were my favorites. The signature slice of orange was there, of course, as it seems to be on every Amtrak meal. The meal was enhanced by my company at the table, who also happened to be in the compartment across the hall from me. They were from Maine and on their way to Destin, Florida, so they detrained at Hattiesburg, Mississippi for their 4 hour trip to their destination. Great fun - true "Mainiacs" who spoke of all the snow they've been having. They also spoke of a horrible time when they battled a blizzard down from Maine to Lorton for the Autotrain, only to have the train cancelled after all the cars were loaded. They unloaded the cars and my new friends drove on through the blizzard to ultimately get to Orlando.
The train itself has been very comfortable. The Crescent is not "Level One" of Amtrak service, but it is a good "Level Two.' (Those levels are something I made up myself, so don't ask about them.) I'm not sure why they move the sleepers to the rear in the winter, but I approve. I could not hear the train whistle at all! It was quiet, and for the most part the rails were smooth. I slept like a baby (and no, that does not mean crying and hungry all night).
Breakfast Tuesday morning was nice enough, though the corned beef hash in my scrambled eggs & corned beef hash was 'tepid' at best. Good company with a couple from Trenton who met in Sweden (she's Swedish). Big time train folks, they have traveled all over. They have two more Amtrak trains they want to ride and they will have been on all the long distance trains. (They had not heard of our site, so I put them on to it.)
As I type this on my iPad (fortunately with a bluetooth keyboard), we are in Atlanta and right on time. We left precisely on time and have hit every stop on time, despite an hour waiting for freight trains in Charlotte. N.C.
----
Well, I knew I should not have commented on how timely The Crescent was this trip. We are now approaching Anniston and Birmingham, AL...running over 30 minutes late. (Not being the sharpest pencil in the box, I thought it was more like 90 minutes, until I realized we had passed through a time zone change.) Not sure where we lost all the time - a couple waits for freight, one brief walk around by the conductor and staff to make sure nothing had fallen off the train, I guess did it. (Ninja Dwayne, of course, is nowhere to be asked.) Blasting along at 79 MPH now, so perhaps we'll make up some of the time. Should be hearing the call for lunch soon (it's 11:30).
----
As I now sit in the New Orleans Marriott and remember my trip, I have only fond memories. Though my Maine friends worried because we were 30 minutes late to Hattiesburg and the car rental place was not answering their phone, The Crescent made up all the time by the time we reached New Orleans. We came to a stop as precisely on time as we had left.
My only regret is that at this time of year the Lake Ponchartrain crossing is at night. I would have liked to have crossed during the daylight!
Scott
Sent from my IPad
My grand journey from Boston to New Orleans began with the pedestrian Amtrak Regional 171 to Penn Station. It was a comfortable, smooth ride which got me to NYP with 2 hours to spare. (Couldn't see paying $100 more for the Acela just to have more time to wait at Penn Station.)
I went through chaotic Penn Station to Club Acela, which is pretty grungy and crowded. The staff was efficient but unenthusiastic. The highlight was a super Red Cap, whose name unfortunately I did not get. He gathered up all of us on car 2010, which happened to include an incredibly motley crew of heavy and distracted and slow individuals (myself included) - all very pleasant and enjoyable to be with, but getting them down track 8 was like herding chickens. I ended up carrying my own bags because the Red Cap's 'trolley' was over-flowing. (And so far as I could tell, I was the only one to tip him.) Nonetheless, he kept his humor and got us all down to the train before the SCA had even arrived.
The SCAA, Dwayne, was young and very pleasant. He would do anything you asked, but you had to ask ... otherwise he was something of a Ninja. I only saw him once that first day after he introduced himself upon our arrival. That was when I happened to meet him in the hall and I asked if he could put my compartment in sleep mode. He said, "sure" and showed up in a few minutes. He began making the bottom bunk and was surprised when I told him I'd be sleeping on top (I'm traveling alone this time, and obviously he knew that). He prepared the upper bunk, smiled, and disappeared. I next saw him when he was eating breakfast the next morning.
(At the very end, as we were waiting for the train to crawl into the New Orleans station, we got to talk more. He's a fine gentleman, based in New Orleans. Hopefully he'll become a bit more proactive in the future because he has the personality to be a really top notch SCA.)
Roxroy Jeffers (our Dining Car Attendant) was another matter altogether. A larger than life 13 year ("14 years soon!") Amtrak veteran who has served almost exclusively on The Crescent, was a delight. A sardonic soul whose humor was not immediately apparent, he plied his trade efficiently, effectively...and never lost sight of the fact that he wanted his customers to have a good experience and a fun experience. I'll definitely write a note to Amtrak commending Roxroy.
For some reason, people like to comment on the food, so here goes. Roxroy warned me off the 'special,' which was lamb. (Others had it and said the slice of lamb was both huge and good.) I went with the steak, which was fine...the vegetables and the diet-busting cheesecake were my favorites. The signature slice of orange was there, of course, as it seems to be on every Amtrak meal. The meal was enhanced by my company at the table, who also happened to be in the compartment across the hall from me. They were from Maine and on their way to Destin, Florida, so they detrained at Hattiesburg, Mississippi for their 4 hour trip to their destination. Great fun - true "Mainiacs" who spoke of all the snow they've been having. They also spoke of a horrible time when they battled a blizzard down from Maine to Lorton for the Autotrain, only to have the train cancelled after all the cars were loaded. They unloaded the cars and my new friends drove on through the blizzard to ultimately get to Orlando.
The train itself has been very comfortable. The Crescent is not "Level One" of Amtrak service, but it is a good "Level Two.' (Those levels are something I made up myself, so don't ask about them.) I'm not sure why they move the sleepers to the rear in the winter, but I approve. I could not hear the train whistle at all! It was quiet, and for the most part the rails were smooth. I slept like a baby (and no, that does not mean crying and hungry all night).
Breakfast Tuesday morning was nice enough, though the corned beef hash in my scrambled eggs & corned beef hash was 'tepid' at best. Good company with a couple from Trenton who met in Sweden (she's Swedish). Big time train folks, they have traveled all over. They have two more Amtrak trains they want to ride and they will have been on all the long distance trains. (They had not heard of our site, so I put them on to it.)
As I type this on my iPad (fortunately with a bluetooth keyboard), we are in Atlanta and right on time. We left precisely on time and have hit every stop on time, despite an hour waiting for freight trains in Charlotte. N.C.
----
Well, I knew I should not have commented on how timely The Crescent was this trip. We are now approaching Anniston and Birmingham, AL...running over 30 minutes late. (Not being the sharpest pencil in the box, I thought it was more like 90 minutes, until I realized we had passed through a time zone change.) Not sure where we lost all the time - a couple waits for freight, one brief walk around by the conductor and staff to make sure nothing had fallen off the train, I guess did it. (Ninja Dwayne, of course, is nowhere to be asked.) Blasting along at 79 MPH now, so perhaps we'll make up some of the time. Should be hearing the call for lunch soon (it's 11:30).
----
As I now sit in the New Orleans Marriott and remember my trip, I have only fond memories. Though my Maine friends worried because we were 30 minutes late to Hattiesburg and the car rental place was not answering their phone, The Crescent made up all the time by the time we reached New Orleans. We came to a stop as precisely on time as we had left.
My only regret is that at this time of year the Lake Ponchartrain crossing is at night. I would have liked to have crossed during the daylight!
Scott
Sent from my IPad
