The Grand Luxe on The Southwest Chief?

[singwith]

Are they still on or cancelled? Thanks, Snuffy

 

[VentureForth]

Are they still on or cancelled? Thanks, Snuffy

Need a little more specificity. I don't see any plans on their website to be linked to the SWC. There are plenty of trips in the SW using much of that route next Spring/Summer, but it will be on it's own - not attached to any Amtrak service.

So, I presume that you are referring to "The GrandLuxe Limited" - a special offering made by GrandLuxe this Fall and Winter season offering a limited service for a reduced rate on the back of the California Zephyr and the Silver Meteor. The Silver Meteor service was cancelled all together due to a 'lack of interest'. I believe that lack of interest was primarily caused by being held on the train for 24 hours without ever being able to leave the train. Also, the inability to embark or disembark enroute was a small concern.

The California Zephyr tour doesn't look like it was ever cancelled. This years dates are still listed on their website, but all the dates have passed (they were all in November).

I am not aware of GrandLuxe Limited service on the SWC at all. I don't think it was ever on the table.

Just my thoughts and recollections. Others may remember otherwise.

 

[AlanB]

Are they still on or cancelled? Thanks, Snuffy

So, I presume that you are referring to "The GrandLuxe Limited" - a special offering made by GrandLuxe this Fall and Winter season offering a limited service for a reduced rate on the back of the California Zephyr and the Silver Meteor. The Silver Meteor service was cancelled all together due to a 'lack of interest'. I believe that lack of interest was primarily caused by being held on the train for 24 hours without ever being able to leave the train. Also, the inability to embark or disembark enroute was a small concern.

Originally Grandluxe Limited was supposed to run on the back of three Amtrak trains, the Silver Meteor between DC & Miami, the SW Chief between LA & Chicago, and the Zephyr between Emeryville and Chicago. Due to poor bookings the runs on both the Meteor and the Chief were cancelled totally. A limited number of the originally scheduled runs on the Zephyr survived and actually took place. Many other runs were cancelled though, as they were supposed to have run through this month.

I disagree that being kept on the train was a major cause of people not booking. For most people that simply isn't that important, especially when one can just step outside on the deck of one of the GL cars for fresh air. Besides for much of the runs they would be encountering winter conditions. Perhaps not picking people up on the way may have hurt a bit, and they actually did add a stop for the DC - Miami run in the hopes of boosting bookings, but even that failed sadly.

Personally I think that things failed for a few reasons. First and foremost, the fact that most people don't take vacations at this time of the year, other than to visit families for the Holidays. Second I have to wonder if their prices weren't a bit too high for the market that they were trying to break into. Finally I'm not sure that they did enough advertising to promote this. This should have been promoted heavily in cities served by these runs. Instead it almost seems like they relied on their repeat customers, who would probably consider this a step down from the normal tours, and general Amtrak passengers.

 

[singwith]

Thank you all for the follow up.

I didn't know that they cancel it.

They still show the website and thought they are still "on".

http://www.americanorientexpress.com/html/...eLimitedLA.html

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Grand Luxe's prices are a joke, for the most part. I can take a similarly enjoyable rail vactaion (for me) on Amtraks system for a 1/4 the price. If the pulled their train with steam, MAYBE I could see the prices. But with a diesel? What is the point?

 

[rile42]

I had considered takeing one of the American Orient Express trips a couple of years ago. Now, after the change of ownership, I might be wrong but it seems like the fares have almost doubled. I might be wrong about that though.

As another poster pointed out....for the same money, I can get alot more travel from Amtrak.

 

[MrEd]

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I would think you could go 8,000 miles on amtrak for half the cost, but you get less service that you would on GrandLuxe.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

But the question is, is the service on the Grandluxe consistently better by enough to justify the fare being four times higher?

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I suspect the food is fresh, high quality, and well prepared. Maybe if you don't have my girlfriend, who prepares 5-star quality meals (Eggs burgundian, shrimp bordelaise, and even genuine, fresh hollandaise... among many other things) that would be really unique and worth something to you, but not to me. I am willing to take lower quality food on vacation, primarily because I don't have to help make it- which I like doing. But top-of-the-line food is not something that really sways me because its what I eat all the time. So it isn't worth anything to me, really. Amtraks food is pretty dang good, and has what I see as the luxury of being made for me- which means more than the quality of the food itself.

I'm sure the liquor is free-flowing and of great quality. Which is nice, except that I use cost as the rationalization for controlling my drinking. Which used to be a problem of mine. So for me free liquor is a BAD thing, especially as it is probably good quality. Free cognac or grey goose is a recipe for me getting myself into trouble. Amtrak has neither, and at home the cost stops me from drinking much of it.

I'd imagine that they wait on you hand and foot for every need you have at the crook of a finger. But I generally don't like being waited on like that during vacations. I like getting good service- don't get me wrong- but the fact is, the vacation ends and I have to go back to real life. Good service is nice, but the hand-and-foot waiting on gets to be too much of a habit and going back to life is thus difficult (for me). But I am sure you get that from them.

I am sure that the beds are very comfortable, although not as comfortable as even a motel 6- it's still a train, and there is still limited space. I'm sure the bathrooms are much larger, more comfortable. Ok, thats a big deal to me, I'll admit. I'm sure the rooms are much more luxuriously outfitted and in comparison to the poorly-constructed Viewliners, better built. I've heard great things about Colorado Railcar. I hope Amtrak has the foresight to use them rather than the hit-or-miss quality of Bombardier, if they ever build new cars. Like it matters to me for the length of the trip I am on.

I am sure the lounge car/observation car/dining car is a model of sybaritic luxury. But the luxury is the view, and Amtrak's Sightseer lounge, from what I can see, offers as good or better views then their so-called dome car. I'm not going to be looking at the wood trim and louis the somethingth style chairs, I'm looking out the window. And Amtraks cars, while modern-cold in style, are comfortable enough.

If the food isn't fresh, high-quality, and 5-stars in nature, if the liquor is not free-flowing and very high quality, if they don't wait on you hand and foot at the crook of the finger, if the beds are not very comfortable, the bathrooms large and comfortable, and the cars a model of sybaritic luxury, then the price is a pure rip-off. Because Amtrak offers decent, tasty, and edible food, the availability of reasonably priced booze, decent-if-variable service, relatively comfortable accommodations, and an excellent view for a 1/4 or less of the price.

Whats more, I imagine a lot of the rail experience is lost on these trains. First of all, one of the aspects of the Amtrak experience that I like is that I will usually meet a few nice, interesting, and pleasant people from all walks of life, be it the relatively wealthy sleeper passengers, or relatively poor coach class passengers, whom I can relate to. I'll admit my family is not poor, but I have never been able to handle the snobbish attitude of the kind of person who would generally spend this kind of money on a vacation. The noise and shaking of the train is part of the fun- the train feels magical, almost alive. An entity into itself. Its part of the experience probably reduced or eliminated in the name of "luxury".

Harry S. Truman said that you get a real feel of America and its people aboard its trains, and this remains true of Amtrak's long-distance unsung heros. This is not true of the Snobsville Special- er, I mean Grand Luxe.

 

[PRR 60]

...Harry S. Truman said that you get a real feel of America and its people aboard its trains, and this remains true of Amtrak's long-distance unsung heros. This is not true of the Snobsville Special- er, I mean Grand Luxe.

Gee, you don't have much respect for people whose tastes and desires do not exactly match yours. You are entitled to your opinion, but just because someone enjoys riding Grand Luxe does not make them a snob. And just because they are in fancier cars does not mean they do not experience America by train. Who are the Grande Luxe passengers? They are people who enjoy rail travel, fine food, the on-board commoradory, the tours and lectures, and they are willing to pay for the experience (a decent chunk of which goes to Amtrak). That does not make them "snobs" any more than riding Amtrak LD coach makes someone a slob.

Here's a suggestion. Lighten up, and accept that rail enthusiasts come in all shapes, sizes, and with varying tastes.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

*shrugs* Getting a clear perspective on the people of america is different than experiencing it. In anycase, I meant no offense. I am often guilty of getting into a heated tirade and steamrolling on past whatever my original point was. Sorry if I offended.

 

[PRR 60]

And I'm sorry that I came back at you so harshly.

My point was that the people you would meet on Grand Luxe would not be so different from those you would meet on Amtrak. Certainly the economic demographics would be skewed toward the higher end, but you would find people who saved for years to afford the trip, many who regularly ride Amtrak, and some who are riding a train for the first time who may become Amtrak customers later. I bet there are even some passengers with scanners aboard the Grande Luxe.

The experience on Grand Luxe compared to Amtrak is somewhat like comparing the expensive downtown restaurant with TGI Fridays. Both will serve you a nice meal. But each offers a different level in the quality in the overall experience. Amtrak offers good food with efficient service (generally), but you don't linger for a couple of hours. You sit down, get served your meal, and leave usually in under an hour. Many times that is just what you want. The Grand Luxe also offers good food and efficient service and, in addition, makes the meal an event. It might take two hours for a multi-course meal with wine. Every element is painstakingly prepared and presented. But, just like Amtrak, all this takes place while you are riding in a train across the countryside. And, with a relatively small group of fellow passengers, you get to know almost everyone on board. My wife and I did a trip like that many years ago with a predecessor of Grand Luxe and it was a trip about which we still reminisce.

Having said that, when we travel by rail, we travel on Amtrak (as we will this week). That's because, like TGI Fridays, Amtrak does a very nice job for a very affordable price and that is usually just what we want. But once in a great while it is nice to be treated like a rich person whether you are or not. That's where Grand Luxe comes in.