Has Anyone traveled to a port via Amtrak

[Cruisin' Chick]

Ten years ago we took the Coast Starlight from Oxnard, CA (at that time, the second closest stop that you can check in luggage on; the other was downtown LA:eek:) up to Seattle for our Alaskan cruise. It is a scheduled 36 hour trip each way, but I checked the arrival times for a few weeks and found it was a matter of extra hours, rather than minutes. This was because Amtrak didn't own the rails in this area so whenever a freight train needed a segment, the Amtrak train would need to "sidetrack." On our trip, there were several times this happened. So we got into Seattle four hours late. But fortunately, I had padded time: for a Sunday cruise, we planned for a Friday night arrival. We booked a family cabin, which was not inexpensive. It included meals, which seemed overpriced to me (and there wasn't a major variety from one menu to another). We also had a major plumbing problem on several of the cars:eek::(.

 

Our return was 40 hours too. When I had called the number to check on schedules (as they recommend), I discovered that it was the first day for the resumption of the regular schedule. We were unaware that there was a fire in one of the Oregon tunnels just a few days after our trip north. For about a week, passengers would have to get off at one point, board a bus that went around the damaged tunnel, and then get back on the train (there's two trains in all, of course). Found out this added nine hours to the trip. When we went through the site of the fire, we could tell from the smell and also the hole in the tunnel's roof.

 

On the plus side, the sidetracking actually gave us a view of Mt. Shasta during breakfast.

[jamessemaj]

The fire disaster reminded me of a trip I took on the California Zephyr which originates in Chicago, but which I caught in Reno. Met a man who told of the train getting stranded in the old pre-Amtrak days when it was operated by the private rail lines. It got stuck in a snow storm for days between Reno and Sacramento before rescue arrived. So these things happened in the good old rail days as well. I would still take that over being stranded for unreasonable time in a plane on the tarmac.

[MrsPete]

I've taken two train trips and have enjoyed them. Details -- some good, others bad:

 

- Train seats are larger and more comfortable than airplane seats, and you have an electrical outlet next to you. You can get up and walk around, if you wish.

 

- Food in the café car is very bad and expensive -- think microwaved frozen hamburger for $8 -- but you can bring your own. They don't want you to sit in the café car if you're not eating their food though, which is understandable. I have heard that food in the "restaurant car" is good, but I have no personal experience with that.

 

- Each car does have a water-bottle refill spigot at the front.

 

- The bathrooms are nasty. Two hints: Watch for when they open a new car (they'll do this just before a new stop, when they know they're about to take on new passengers), and try to use it before the crowds. You can also bring Clorox wipes.

 

- No restrictions on what you can bring in your suitcases (thinking liquids here), but if you're thinking you'll leave your seats unattended, it might be wise to lock your suitcases and bring a bicycle cable lock. Strangers around you won't know whose luggage is whose, so they won't prevent anyone from looking through your bag. If you're bringing something like a rolling carry-on, you can put it above your seat. If you're bringing a BIG suitcase, they have shelves at the front of the cart. You're pretty much on your own to load /unload your stuff, so pack carefully. Though most people are good folks, I wouldn't leave a laptop or something else valuable unattended.

 

- Trains are notoriously late. If I were taking a train to a cruise, I would absolutely insist upon having a full day's buffer. Overly cautious, perhaps, but the train being late is something that's very likely to happen.

 

In conclusion, would I take the train for a cruise? Absolutely! In fact, I wanted to do it for our last cruise, but the details just didn't work out. We would've been on the train overnight. If it'd been just me and my husband, I'd have been fine with it . . . but we were going to have four teenaged girls. I wouldn't have been okay with having them on a public train and one of us not being awake to keep an eye on them -- that would've meant we would've arrived overly tired. The price was great, but the details just didn't work out.

[jdragr]

We are definitely going to travel Amtrak. My dh is excited about that because it is something we have never done. We will travel the day before down so that should take care of any delays. Thank you for all the replies!

[ladytravlr2]

I have taken Amtrak several times to NOLA cruise port. I enjoy it, actually, USUALLY. The last trip was not as fun, due to such a high volume of passengers. Usually I have been able to stretch out across two seats during the night. Not so that trip....and even got scolded for trying to, they "didn't want to have to wake me up when more passengers got on" and "you should have bought another ticket if you wanted to lay down". Not nice remarks from conductors. So I and everyone else had to sleep sitting straight up. I did manage to go to Observation car in the middle of night and get a couple hours of sleep though.

 

Anyway, usually I have found it to be a great way to travel to cruises. No baggage restrictions, you can move around freely, etc. The terminal usually has lots of taxis waiting to take you anywhere you need to go.

 

Left central Illinois at about 10:30 pm, got to NOLA the next day at 3:30 p.m. Plenty of time to enjoy an afternoon and evening in New Orleans before cruise the following day. Approximately 17 hours travel.

 

Had a sleeper car once, with three girls it was too crowded. So just got coach seats after that.

 

It was reasonable, around 200 per roundtrip ticket. That is from central Illinois to NOLA. Sleeper adds additional price if you want that.

 

If it is during a time of holidays or spring breaks, it can be very crowded...just watch for that.

[Underwatr]

I've even applied a one-day buffer on a 3-hour Amtrak ride from central PA to New York.

[Bonnie J.]

We paid $75 @ from Charleston SC to Philadelphia. We could put seats way back, they were better than 1st class in an airplane and we had tons of leg room. I could stretch my legs out straight in front of me and not touch seat ahead of me. There was a foot rest from that seat and my seat had support to pull up in front so my legs were completely supported.

[sprint180]

haha just checked mine out. 55 hours, 2 1/2 days and $279.00/pp

think i'll fly

[ioneblair]

Don't forget to use your AAA discount if you have that

[jdragr]

Booked mine today. Called and got a discount for sailing carnival. 281.60 for 4 of us round trip from Birmingham to NOLA. Yes that is a good deal.

 

 

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[cruizinisthebest]

Booked mine today. Called and got a discount for sailing carnival. 281.60 for 4 of us round trip from Birmingham to NOLA. Yes that is a good deal.

 

 

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We're planning to take Amtrak from NJ to Orlando for our Carnival cruise this summer. Calling now to see what the discount will be. Hope the agent can find the Carnival code;)

[cruizinisthebest]

Just to follow-up, at first the Amtrak agent I spoke with said there was no discount code for Carnival. When pressed (politely) she found the 2014 code for Carnival. V875. Ask about it! I have my train reservation done and will pay for it on Friday!

[ciship]

I agree with you 100%. For our first cruise back in 2002 we took Amtrak from Chicago to New Orleans because DH thought our daughter should experience a train trip. It was the longest 18 hours of my life. Don't base the cost just on train fare versus airfare. If you take the train and it is a long ride you need to factor in the cost of food. Food in the dining car on amtrak is on the pricy side. With our ride from hell we lift Chicago at 8 PM and arrived in NOLA the next afternoon at 2 PM, so we needed both breakfast and lunch on the train. Returning home we left NOLA at 2PM and arrived in Chicago at 8 AM the next morning, so we had to have dinner on the train. Besides eating there is absolutely nothing to do. You can only play cards for so long before that gets old.

 

I totally disagree. I have taken Amtrak from east to west and north to south routes for years now. SO much more relaxing then flying and driving. Yes, it takes longer but you aren't restricted to your seat (ever) and can walk around from car to car, read books, watch movies on your laptop, play games in the observation car, have a glass of wine (or two), take awesome naps (I sleep like a baby on trains) and the list goes on and on. Yes, traveling by train takes much longer, but it's all stress FREE travel. Can't wait for my next trip!

[ciship]

I have taken Amtrak several times to NOLA cruise port. I enjoy it, actually, USUALLY. The last trip was not as fun, due to such a high volume of passengers. Usually I have been able to stretch out across two seats during the night. Not so that trip....and even got scolded for trying to, they "didn't want to have to wake me up when more passengers got on" and "you should have bought another ticket if you wanted to lay down". Not nice remarks from conductors. So I and everyone else had to sleep sitting straight up. I did manage to go to Observation car in the middle of night and get a couple hours of sleep though.

 

Anyway, usually I have found it to be a great way to travel to cruises. No baggage restrictions, you can move around freely, etc. The terminal usually has lots of taxis waiting to take you anywhere you need to go.

 

Left central Illinois at about 10:30 pm, got to NOLA the next day at 3:30 p.m. Plenty of time to enjoy an afternoon and evening in New Orleans before cruise the following day. Approximately 17 hours travel.

 

Had a sleeper car once, with three girls it was too crowded. So just got coach seats after that.

 

It was reasonable, around 200 per roundtrip ticket. That is from central Illinois to NOLA. Sleeper adds additional price if you want that.

 

If it is during a time of holidays or spring breaks, it can be very crowded...just watch for that.

 

I'm surprised to hear that you had to sleep sitting up? The Amtrak coach seats recline really far back (almost to a laying position). They should have told you that. I'm sorry the conductors were rude to you. I have never had that experience myself and would not take it lightly if it happened. Hopefully, that was just a one time instance.

[ciship]

My cruise is in 2015, but I book my train travel a year ahead of time. I tried to use the 2014 V875 code ( a 2014 code) for my 2015 travel, but I couldn't use it. I was told I would have to wait for the 2015 code whenever it comes out. Thought this was strange, but I'm willing to keep a watchful eye on the 2015 Carnival code and then call back to have my tickets re-issued. Amtrak 800# also told me there were restrictions and black outs with the Carnival code and they only allot a certain amount of seats.

 

If anyone hears of the 2015 code, please post it!!

[Talisker92]

Ten years ago we took the Coast Starlight from Oxnard' date=' CA (at that time, the second closest stop that you can check in luggage on; the other was downtown LA:eek:)

On the plus side, the sidetracking actually gave us a view of Mt. Shasta during breakfast.[/quote']

 

Dear Patty,

I am sorry but you are incorrect about Oxnard being the only place to load luggage. The train station in Van Nuys is a whole lot closer to you and you can load luggage there.

[MrsPete]

I have taken Amtrak several times to NOLA cruise port. I enjoy it, actually, USUALLY. The last trip was not as fun, due to such a high volume of passengers. Usually I have been able to stretch out across two seats during the night. Not so that trip....and even got scolded for trying to, they "didn't want to have to wake me up when more passengers got on" and "you should have bought another ticket if you wanted to lay down". Not nice remarks from conductors. So I and everyone else had to sleep sitting straight up. I did manage to go to Observation car in the middle of night and get a couple hours of sleep though.

 

Anyway, usually I have found it to be a great way to travel to cruises. No baggage restrictions, you can move around freely, etc. The terminal usually has lots of taxis waiting to take you anywhere you need to go.

 

Left central Illinois at about 10:30 pm, got to NOLA the next day at 3:30 p.m. Plenty of time to enjoy an afternoon and evening in New Orleans before cruise the following day. Approximately 17 hours travel.

 

Had a sleeper car once, with three girls it was too crowded. So just got coach seats after that.

 

It was reasonable, around 200 per roundtrip ticket. That is from central Illinois to NOLA. Sleeper adds additional price if you want that.

 

If it is during a time of holidays or spring breaks, it can be very crowded...just watch for that.

Your anger at the conductors is misplaced. Why would you expect to pay for one seat . . . Yet have the use of more? If you want to lie down to sleep, you should pay for that space. Why would you expect anythig else?

[swedish weave]

We live in the Los Angeles area, and when we cruise out of San Diego, we always take the train down there. It is about a two hour ride and the train station is about two blocks from the pier. Sure beats driving !!!

[cruiseapril]

We have taken Amtrak to Florida since 2005. We have always had good trips. A few times we have stopped over in Washington D.C. for the night (at the Hyatt near the station) and have liked that experience.

 

We used to sleep in our seats, bit now we get a roomette. It is more expensive, but the perks are good with 3 meals included.

 

We have taken Amtrak to: Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Kissimmee, and Jacksonville. We had only one delay on our way home once.

 

We usually go down to Florida a day early and stay a few days after the cruise for a Florida warming before heading back to Maine.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Dear Patty,

I am sorry but you are incorrect about Oxnard being the only place to load luggage. The train station in Van Nuys is a whole lot closer to you and you can load luggage there.

 

Back in 2004, when we did this trip, the Van Nuys station wasn't on the Coast Starlight route (I did check). Chatsworth was the closest station, but it didn't have check in facilities. So we had a choice between Union Station and Oxnard.

 

We rented a mini van from a Valley rental car agency (we have sedans with small trunks -- but other than vacations, we love them), drove to Oxnard and stayed at a hotel there (and had a nice afternoon and evening at one of our favorite day trip spots, Ventura Harbor). Hubby dropped us off with all of our luggage at the train station, dropped off the rental at the Oxnard hotel, then returned to the train station.

[mayfair0325]

We did Amtrack from Southern I to NOLA a couple of years ago for a cruise. Omg never again. As said earlier, it was crowded, so only got very little sleep in observation car. The big reason was the incredibly rude staff everywhere we went. Terrible! A big delay also. Had sleeper rooms on return trip, so not as bad, but staff still rude. Sure didn't want to work either. Very bad experience for our whole travel group.

 

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[Underwatr]

Here's how I'd like to do Chicago-NOLA:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/travel/all-aboard-for-a-trip-to-the-past.html

[ioneblair]

Honestly, I will never understand how people let others ruin their travels....who cares about rude staff!?! terribly unclean conditions (though I prepare and bring what's needed), hazards to your health, safety issues, etc. would be deal breakers

 

a smile, understanding and patience and giving respect even when it's not deserved can make things and people become better or at least improved....

 

build in time for delays if your travel plans can handle that.....RELAX y'all it's not THAT SERIOUS....it's just a train ride with a bunch of flawed (including ourselves) people....

 

I'm looking forward to my PHL to MIA Amtrak ride.....I read a book, look out the window and am glad my busy life is on pauuuuse, meditate and try to interact on as best a level with others that I can....be a bigger person and make it also a growth time....life is always full of those no matter how old you are and I am mature/senior.....it's a good time to see life in context....

 

jmho

Edited May 23, 2014 by ioneblair