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I can't remember ever having taken the Southbound Starlight from Seattle. Is there a Continental Breakfast in the Pacific Parlour Car on boarding?
It's going to be a late night coming in from Vancouver. We're staying at the RedLion on 5th -- Crew Rate.
Frank in cool and clear SBA.
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Is this like the "Soup Nazi"? Do other people get breakfast or is it just me?
It's good to see Railforum back up and running again.
Frank in clear but cool SBA
And, yes, this travel is in connection with a cruise. We booked a 5 nighter San Diego to Vancouver, BC. It's the last voyage of Radiance of the Seas before it goes in for a two week re-fit in Victoria, B.C.
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Hi Frank-- maybe you can "hitch a ride" on the Carnival Splendor! It's making its way north today along with a couple of bluewater tugs; to a repair site somewhere in the Bay Area. I'm guessing if you go down to Stearns, you can see it limp by!
Those psgrs had quite the "adventure" eh? Hope you have a good cruise on the Radiance up to Canada, by the way...
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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I'm amazed that problem hasn't been resolved yet. I guess there was more damage than originally reported.
We usually don't see many ships that size in the Channel, they usually go outside. We do have another cruise ship coming in soon. I think it's one of the luxury ones, perhaps Crystal.
Frank in sunny and cool SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Unless things have changed, Vicki, #11 does serve a continental breakfast leaving Seattle. Although my last trip on #11 was in June of 2008, so I am not as current as others.
The cruise ship is coming to the SF Bay Area somewhere. I'm not sure if it's San Francisco, Oakland, Bencia, or what....but I do know that it's coming here. Yesterday, an ENORMOUS Antonov (Russian-built aircraft) freighter flew into SFO with the new engine for the cruise ship.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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I can understand with the current 11:45AM departure from Seattle that there would not be the Continental Breakfast. However, at 9:45AM I'd be surprised if there wasn't.
Has anyone done the train from downtown SEA to the airport? Friends will be taking the early morning Cascades from Vancouver after the cruise and need to get to the airport. It looks like a fairly easy two block (or so) walk from King Street Station to the International District/Chinatown stop for the airport train.
Frank in clear but cool SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Whoops on my part! Even though it was right in front of me, I disregarded (by mistake) that the departure time will be 1145 hrs. I suppose that would take you immediately into lunch either before departure, or shortly thereafter.
Hopefully, the Conductor or Dining Car Steward will be there in the waiting room of the Seattle station so that he/she can hand out lunch reservations prior to boarding the train. That would be the logical thing to do, however, Amtrak and logic in the same sentence??? Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Frank, I have taken the 9:45 train several times. No continental breakfast was offered. Maybe they were trying to spoil you Smitty. Trying to get a positive report out of you?
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Really? You've never gotten a continental breakfast in the Pacific Parlour Car? Well, it has been 2 1/2 years for me, so I guess they stopped doing it. I even have pictures of the PPC's continental breakfast laid out with Seattle station in the background prior to departure. Does this mean that they also stopped the continental breakfast in the PPC on #14 out of Los Angeles also?
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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There's a lot of construction going on at King Street Station these days, but the path from KSS to the LINK light rail station is pretty simple. If you are hauling luggage, go out the main doors of KSS, TURN LEFT, and walk to the pedestrian bridge over the train tracks. Take the elevator up to the overpass, cross the street (4th Ave) and the LINK station is behind the Union Station Building. It's about a one block walk.
Posts: 831 | From: Seattle | Registered: Jan 2011
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Vicki..now you've got my curiosity up. Are your experiences of non-continental breakfasts on #14 something recent in roughly the last two years? Or does it go back further than that? Because I can't think of a time where I DIDN'T have breakfast in the Parlour Car. It's been that way going back as far as the original launch when the entire train was originally relaunched with the Parlour Cars, and that was....geez....10 to 15 years ago now? Have you just gone to your sleeper and not taken a looksie in the PPC as you depart? Or did you actually walk into the PPC right when you boarded (or immediately after departure from LA) and found nothing there? If I could post pictures here, I would. My memory could be tricking me, but I'm fairly certain that every trip I've taken on the Starlight ever since it had the PPC's, there has been a continental breakfast on departure.
The type of food has varied over the years. Sometimes they've had really nice pastries set out on plates, along with orange juice, coffee, round cardboard bowls of cereal with a pitcher of milk, fruit, etc...and other times it's just been little pastries wrapped individually in plastic wrappers with coffee. But there's always been something there when I've ridden. I'd love to be able to show you what I'm talking about, but I have attempted to put pictures up here, and it's just too complicated.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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quote: If you are hauling luggage, go out the main doors of KSS, TURN LEFT, and walk to the pedestrian bridge over the train tracks.
Thanks, Vincent. That seems entirely contrary to the way I would have suggested but trust you being on the ground in SEA! I'll pass this along to the friend who is now thinking (wisely) of spending a night before flying back to LGB.
Now, what do you know about the Doubletree Arctic Club Hotel? That is where she is thinking about staying. It looks interesting.
Frank in dark and cool SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Smitty - the #14 normally leaves LA at 10:15, a little late for breakfast. If there was such a thing available in the PPC no one ever told us about it. I have traveled both ways about six times now in the past six years.
Anyone else ever had a PPC breakfast upon departure?
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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quote:Now, what do you know about the Doubletree Arctic Club Hotel? That is where she is thinking about staying. It looks interesting.
The Arctic Club Hotel has been recently remodeled and should be very nice inside. It's close to downtown Seattle attractions and just a few blocks from King Street Station. It's also within a couple of blocks of the King County Jail, the Courthouse and several downtown residential hotels for folks with no income and lots of problems (drugs, alcohol, medical issues, etc.) During the day the area is full of municipal and financial employees and there are plenty of good places to get a quick, tasty and inexpensive lunch, but after dark the Courthouse area gets a little depressing. Overall, I don't think that the hotel is in a bad location, but after dark there are a couple of creepy blocks between the hotel and King Street Station.
Posts: 831 | From: Seattle | Registered: Jan 2011
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Thanks Vincent, and welcome to the RailForum, by the way. Very informative post above ^^^.
Speaking of those residential (we call them SRO's in LA) hotels near King St. station, what ever happened to the one at 4th and Seneca? Believe it or not, that used to be THE Amtrak Crew domicile/hotel in the early 80s. I'm guessing it's one of those "residential" places now? Even in the 80s, that hotel was one dicey place. There was one room that had a "hole-in-the-wall," through which you could see what was happening in the next-door room! Ah, the memories... Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Thanks for the welcome, I've been reading this site for several years and I appreciate the variety of voices heard here. This site seems to attract the writing of people who actually ride Amtrak trains, which greatly increases the value of the opinions expressed here.
Back to Seattle hotels....
The properties in the 4th and Seneca area are fully renovated (peep holes plugged) and likely would be a fine location for a one night stay. There's also a classic Seattle hotel, The Edgewater, that appears to have rebounded from a few years poor service. The Edgewater is on the waterfront and close to King Street Station. People used to fish from their balconies and the kitchen would cook your catch; although today, anything pulled from Elliot Bay would likely be hazardous to your health if consumed. Rooms at The Edgewater are bookable through the Amtrak website.
Posts: 831 | From: Seattle | Registered: Jan 2011
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Since Amtrak started the "lounge" service in the TRAXX bar at LAX, do they serve a continental breakfast there for sleeping car passengers? I thought that was one of the "perks" of the service.
-------------------- Railrev Escondido, CA Posts: 99 | From: Escondido, California | Registered: Jul 2003
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Seems like when we were at the TRAXX in 2008 waiting to board the Starlight, they did have pastries available for passengers, as well as drinks.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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quote:Originally posted by HopefulRailUser: Smitty - the #14 normally leaves LA at 10:15, a little late for breakfast. If there was such a thing available in the PPC no one ever told us about it. I have traveled both ways about six times now in the past six years.
Anyone else ever had a PPC breakfast upon departure?
I just remembered the name of the muffins/pastries: "Edna's Pastries". Here is a link to their website:
Edna's has been supplying the continental breakfast muffins and pastries for years to both #11 and #14 in the Parlour Car. I don't know how it operates today, but up until my last ride on both 11 and 14, the Coast Starlight has served a continental breakfast to sleeper passengers for years and years. Vicki---I think you've been missing out, because it's always been there. If you'd like, I can send you photos of what it looks like. My email address (that I use for internet postings) is:
andyjsmith195@gmail.com
If you'd like to, you can email me there and let me know what your email address is. Then I can send you pictures of the continental breakfast that I'm referring to. Every time I've ridden, they have had it set up and ready to go before the passengers board. Just go straight to the Parlour Car and grab your free food!
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Well I guess they have been torturing me by not telling me about it. I do often head to the PPC soon after boarding but, as you know, any possible food would be located at the far end.
Next CS trip I will look for it.
Thanks Smitty
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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