I have paid tickets for sleepers on Crescent. Amtrak called and told me my sleeper car number changed, that's all. But after reading some trip reports on viewliner sleeper car cancellations I am worried about getting bumped back to coach. I have 2 kids and I can't stand noisy kids, so this is another reason we buy the sleeper ( to keep our kids under wrap!). From the trip reports I can't tell if the sleeper cancelations were unexpected or planned. Do you think we are ok on the sleeper...? I don't want to call Amtrak and have to navigate through Julie! Thanks for any info...I can't wait till next week!
Posted by CK (Member # 589) on :
I share your concern. My wife & I will be on the Crescent in April. We have not been contacted by Amtrak...yet. The sleeper cancellations (2 sleeping cars to just 1) have been planned and are now extended. The same thing happened to us with our reservation on the LSL. There is no longer a sleeper between Boston & Albany. I found that out on this board & I contacted Amtrak. We are now booked coach Boston to Albany, & sleeper Albany to Chicago. We have learned to always expect the unexpected when riding Amtrak.
Posted by Amtk507 (Member # 3083) on :
Not a problem - the same thing happened to me recently. The cut of the second sleeper on the Crescent was planned, but probably not at the time you made your reservations. They are simply moving you to the remaining car, so you will still have the same type of room(s) that you orginally booked. The sleeper cars are identical.
Now if you are already holding tickets with the old car and room numbers, you will need to get them reprinted at the check-in counter before boarding. That will minimize or eliminate any confusion with the car attendant when you board.
It is highly unlikey that you could be bumped from your sleeper into coach, the only way I see that happening is if there is a last-minute mechanical problem with the sleeper car and they run a train without a sleeper at all - and that is very, very unlikely. So relax and enjoy your trip!
By the way, as a fellow Amtrak rider I would like to say Thank You for the consideration you are showing by booking a sleeper for your kids. Of course I bet your kids are super well-behaved and wouldn't be a bother at all, but I understand what you mean about noisy kids!
Thanks and have a great time.
Posted by Sheriff (Member # 2521) on :
yummykaz, I think Amtk507 pretty well summed it up. Our major travel time is of coarse in the summer and around the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays. When things settle down a bit they will pull the extra cars (sleepers, coachs) off because they are not needed. It sounds like they didn't have enough passengers booked to fill the other sleeper so they just pulled it off the manifest. You shouldn't have to worry especially with the kids. You get first shot.
Remember you still need to get your tickets changed. I would go ahead and call "Julie" (I assume she is the one you made your reservations with) and explain what you received in the mail and let her correct it. The sooner the better.