hello all... I've been reading that the Coast Starlight will start "dinerlite" in May of this year. Does that mean no more dining car all together? Will these "lite" meals be served in the diner car, in your sleeper, at your seat in coach? Will they still be included in a sleeper car fare? My daughter and I are planning a trip for late June, justifications of the added expense for the "sleeper car experience" meals included as well as all the fun and interesting times I've read about that happening in the dining car and parlour car, sitting with new people and making interesting new friends. We ate in the dining car the trip before last but I was traveling with my teenage niece,nephew as well as my daughter we took a whole table for ourselves. Needless to say I did'nt experience the dining car meet and great I 've been reading about. I was really hoping to have some similar experiences but am worried we might miss out with the changes coming up. Convince me... tell me it's not too late or will I forever be sleeping in a coach car?
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
"Ask the man who owns one"
Well, in this case 'ask the man who has been there done that":
There will still be a dining car. The new food program alters the method of preparation, not the method of service, at least for the immediate future. Longer term there are plans to combine diner and lounge services into a single car, and we are concerned that this will affect service quality, but it will take some time to convert the cars for that purpose so your trip should be "safe."