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I did a quick "meet and greet" at SBA today with Miss Vicki and Mr. Art. Their Coast Starlight left LAUPT about 20 minutes late but was only down by about five when it pulled into SBA. They were in the 1130 sleeper, Bedroom B. This car was positioned so that the Bedrooms were NOT on the ocean side but that meant they were just that much closer to the Pacific Parlour Car Santa Lucia Highlands where they had a 1:15PM lunch reservation.
We had a pleasant visit and I sent them on their way to SEA. They sail Friday on HAL's Amsterdam for the 2010 Grand Asia and Australia cruise. They return to San Diego on 2 December!!
Frank in overcast and cloudy SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Wow, they will be on a cruise ship from Friday until December 2nd??? I'm jealous----good for them! I still need to take a cruise to see what it's all about.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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The Coast Starlight arrived 45 minutes early last night so they are off to a great start!
Try one of the short coastal repositioning cruises in the Spring or Fall. A two night Princess cruise from Vancouver to San Francisco was what go me hooked.
Vikki has promised to post a report before they leave.
BTW, I was in Carp yesterday having a burger at "The Spot" and saw the NB #14 again. It had the PC and, unlike Art and Vikki's trainset no Cascades locomotive.
Frank in clear and soon to be warm SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Still working on the new eateries in Union Station. Planned opening in November. Two sets of K-9 police came sniffing through the waiting room. One was in training and was strangely interested in our suitcase but moved on.
Boarded the train via redcap- young and female. Car 1430, Bedroom B, Louie Martinez is our attendant. Penny is doing dining car and Mark is the Parlour Car boss. Louie offered the sparkling cider, I accepted but never saw it. We have the newer sleeper with the round shower-toilet unit and the non-explosive sink faucet.
Departure delayed by 20 minutes due to waiting for another train. Met Frank in SBA for a brief chat and exchange of excellent edibles (or drinkables). Thanks Frank! Also met a couple who are going on our cruise.
PPC lunch sadly forgettable. Chicken sandwich on ciabatta would be great if made fresh to order. But it is premade, cold and hard. The carrot cake was the best part of the meal. And the ocean scenery of course. No china yet. And the carrot cake was served in the cardboard salad bowl. Wifi not working for my iPhone but in and out for PCs, must be Safari problem.
Arrived SLO on time, all caught up. The wine and cheese is being offered only to sleepers for $5. Our last trip offered it to coach as well for $10. On the curves I now see we have two regular and one Cascade engine up front.
Diner meal of Asian Beef Spare Rib. It was fine. The rolls are no longer warm as they "removed the warmers due to some type of danger" per our friendly waiter. A brownie covered in caramel was a bit too much. The special coffee machine in the PPC is working and the mocha coffee was good but a bit costly at $3. Beautiful sunset.
The usual non-sleep night and up before it's even light. Way early to Klamath so 45+ minutes available to walk. Unfortunately it is 30 some degrees out there. Breakfast special was the mystery egg patty with cheese grilled between two large pieces of bread. Potatoes or grits with that? Grits in Oregon, will wonders never cease. The OJ was excellent.
Erin in the lounge car is fun. He combines a radio announcer voice with very enticing lists of his goodies. Makes me want to eat there except I have already paid for my mystery meat meals. I have also discovered that they have fixed the non-exploding faucets so they now do explode splashing water all over your mid section.
Stayed in Chemeult a while as the conductor walked the train "checking air lines". Burger for lunch. Left Portland on time and expected to arrive SEA early.
Tried the pasta for dinner. Tasted fine but rather soupy. Ate with first timers, seniors in age. She said "never again". Mostly she felt they paid big money for a bedroom but everything is skimpy and cheap. Pretty perceptive. She also didn't like the motion at night. Of course, for our last meal, out of salmon.
Arrived at SEA 45 minutes early. Tons of taxis waiting and off to the Westin we went.
Overall, staff were all hard working and very pleasant. Food was the usual - not so good. Our bedroom was fully equiped and clean. Either I am getting older (can't be) or the tracks are deteriorating. It was a rough ride. Our car had a rubbery squeak sound I had never heard before and it was very loud all night long.
We are on our way to Asia and Oz on Friday. Will check in occasionally. All of you stay out of trouble. That includes you two, Smitty and Gil.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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The Westin---I've stayed there many times! I like round buildings.
Frank--can you tell me how to find out about positioning cruises? That is precisely what I would like to do. Nothing fancy, no dress-up dinners or anything like that. Just buffet, pool, t-shirt and shorts, and blackjack. Does such a cruise exist (only 2 or 3 days would be perfect).
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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And I should have commented on the food....I agree a thousand percent with your assessment of AmFood, Vicki. But believe it or not, I *love* AmGrits. Having grits for breakfast on the train is something I just love. Some melted butter and shake on a bunch of pepper...mmmmmm......good stuff.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Smitty, go to Holland America or Princess websites. Look at cruises to the Northwest. Repositioning cruises are northbound in early May and southbound in October. And they are usually four days - LA or SD to/from Vancouver.
As for the Westin, this is the first time Priceline has resulted in a less desireable room. We are on the lowest floor (6) with an outside roof and a wall as our view. But the room itself is beautiful. I really appreciated the wonderful, soft, non-moving bed.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Use a search engine like ecruises.com . It will usually give you a choice of something like "Pacific Coastal Cruises". They are most often found in the Spring and Fall. I just did that and found several including a two night on Island Princess from Vancouver to San Francisco. Inside cabin is $99pp, Outside, Balcony or Suite are all the same price $149pp. This "Suite" is probably what Princess calls a "Mini-suite". It's just a larger regular balcony. It's on October 4th, btw. Fly Virgin America to SEA, spend a night at the Westin and take the train to Vancouver and the ship the next day. Easy peasy.
Frank in Sunny and Warm SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote:Originally posted by HopefulRailUser: Coast Starlight #14(21)
......The rolls are no longer warm as they "removed the warmers due to some type of danger" per our friendly waiter.....
Sounds familiar. On the Vermonter I asked about turning the single BC seats. The friendly conductor said he would be glad to, but someone had gotten hurt doing this and now they are not allowed to turn them. Personal injury claims are a big deal on the railroads and I can only imagine the scenario involved with that incident.
Have a great cruise Vicki - sounds like a wonderful itinerary. My wife is now in love with her Kindle and I'm very glad we won't have to carry multiple books on a long trip.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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Smitty, if repositioning doesn't work out, you can do a 7 day Alaska cruise on Holland America out of Vancouver for the Inside Passage. I really liked this--my only cruise so far. You can also do it out of Seattle, but I liked the extra Clipper, train, etc., getting to Vancouver. Do it early June or even very late May so you still see some snow.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Smity you are a man after my own heart when it comes to grits. I make them often for breakfast. Try adding some gratedcheese with the butter and pepper.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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Thank you everyone for the cruise suggestions. This will be so neat if I can make this work. The key for me is a short duration and very casual. But I would really love to see what it's like to be on a floating city. Just imagine, the TV series, "The Love Boat" is what really kicked the cruise industry into high gear so many years ago.
trainlady.....mmmmmmmm........grated cheese on grits! I can just imagine what that would be like once it melts. I've never thought of trying that. I think I will add grits and cheese to my grocery list. Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Smitty, get the quick cooking kind. Takes 5 minutes to make. Also while you can use sharp cheddar I rather like the parmisan(sp) and romano that comes grated in a cardboard container or jar. Don;t stir it in until the last minute. If you want to be really souhern you can top it with sauted Shrimp (but not for breakfast!!!)
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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Train lady - come on down and we'll take you to a Charleston restaurant for real shrimp and grits. Check out the menus here. I'm not a fan of cheese on grits, but a little sugar and butter are good, especially at breakfast.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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Smitty, you can do casual if you like on any cruise I think, but I don't know if you always get the best food all the time if you do. For instance, in my one Holland American experience (delicious food), the buffets were nowhere near as good as sitdown meals, and one of the most delicious nights was the captain's dinner. But don't worry, I don't think you have to be too formal any more! I think all you have to do is bring a blazer or sports jacket and don't wear shorts, blue jeans or sneakers; no one will throw you out. And if the people you are seated with are too formal for some reason, just ask to sit at another table. REally, I am quite sure I saw some pretty casually dressed men even on the dressy nights. I certainly didn't dress too fancy; just a skirt instead of slacks.
One of the things I liked about going out of Vancouver was what an international crowd it was; many Canadians, British folks, and Australians, especially. It was pretty cool!
May I say, Palmland, Charleston is one of the best towns for food, and the best shrimp n grits I ever had was at Magnolias or S.N.O.B. there
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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I can echo Sojourner on dress on board. With tighter restrictions on airline baggage allowances lots of people are dressing down now. Formal nights on most cruises are still pretty much that but a suit (or even a blazer and slacks) for gentlemen is perfectly acceptable. And there are other venues for dinner including the buffet and on Celebrity at least, a sit down section of same offering most of the Main Dining Room menu items.
Two of the things I fought when I was dragged into cruising were dressing up and eating with people I don't know. Well, I've discovered I actually like getting dressed up occasionally and some of the people we've met at "traditional sittings" have ended up becoming long time friends
That said, we now usually do "My Time" (most cruise lines have a variation) where you eat pretty much when and with whom you want. And, yes, you can ask to eat alone -- although people will most likely ask you to join them.
A caution,though. Unless you find someone to share the cabin expect to pay twice the single price. There are a few exceptions to this but they are rare.
And, to keep this more or less on track, you can take the train to many cruises! (Seattle and San Diego come to mind.)
Frank in very warm and sunny SBA
P.S. I like grits, too. With cheese and crumbled bacon, please.
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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That's good news about the dress code! I was anticipating the need to rent a tuxedo. I'm just thinking back to Love Boat episodes! If I can get away with slacks, a nice button-up shirt and sport coat (but no tie--I feel like I'm being strangled and it drives me bonkers), then I can handle that.
I think I should take a cruise with Frank and his significant other, and Vicki and her hubby. I'd be flying solo, but that's how I love to travel. Or maybe trainlady can be my date---we'll be the ones ordering grits. Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Palmland,I love my grits with butter for breakfast too. The cheese isn't on it but rather mixed in at the last minute. Also the shrimp and grits we had in chaston were made with ham too.I have cousins there whom we visited (took the train down) and wwe ate in a number of great restaurants. That was my first exposure to boiled peanuts and I must admit once was enough. Smitty sorry but a cruise is not "my thing" I can get sick in the bathtub.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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Should you decide to dress up, tuxedo rentals are available on most ships.
I'm looking at a Christmas/New Year's cruise on my second favorite ship -- Celebrity Constellation. FLL to SAN. And, of course, the Surfliner home on 2 January 2011!
Frank in still warm but dark SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Tuxedo rentals on-board a ship?? Well, there is definitely a whole new world of travel awaiting me out there. I had no idea.
Is it true that if you sit down at the formal dinner in the dining room, that you can order as much as you want off the menu? For example, if you want to have a steak but also want to try the salmon, you can order BOTH for no extra charge?
And back on the subject of trains....I forgot (way at the beginning of this thread) to mention something. Vicki had mentioned that the rolls are no longer warmed up before serving. If memory serves me correctly, I believe this is because of the "incident" on the California Zephyr as it was being cleaned in the Oakland yard one evening, and the dining car caught on fire and destroyed it. Adjoining cars were also damaged, and every car had severe smoke damage as well as some water damage. This was due to an employee not unplugging an alleged defective roll warmer, which caught fire. So in typical Amtrak response, they threw out the baby with the bath water and made it a system-wide policy to remove the warmers from all trains (instead of just dealing with the employee who forgot to unplug and write-up the defective piece of equipment). When it first happened, there was lots of talk on train websites of it being a "toaster". But of course, Amtrak hasn't served AmToast in several years.....
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Smitty, Check in advance re pricing for tuxedo rentals on board--some of these things can be very steep (though I confess I never checked tuxedo rentals). But you really can get away with just a jacket and slacks, although I don't remember about ties. I don't think you need one, but if you do for one meal, why not just bring a clip-on; that shouldn't be very uncomfortable?
In the dining room you can indeed order more than one item if you like, as much as you like. Or if you taste one item and don't like it, ask for another. I remember thinking 2 appetizers looked good and the waiter suggesting I try both! But I do recommend the meals in the dining hall (not the eat any time or the buffet) for best food.
A relative of mine who takes lots of cruises said that Holland America had the best food, except for the pricier cruise lines (like Crystal), which my friend said cost too much. Also, if you want to pay a $20 supplement for one meal, there is even fancier food you can try. And you can even take cooking lessons on a lot of cruises now!
Do keep in mind you will gain at least 5 pounds on your shorter cruise, unless you are very careful.
Oh, and another thing; there is no reason, with all the food on board, ever to have to spend any money during your excursions. Just take a big plastic doggy bag and bring some goodies to have for lunch if you think you might need them.
One weird thing I do remember, though, is that they charged on board for bottled water. Not tea or coffee, just bottled water. You can check more about that with others more knowledgeable than I. (BUT since they were charging for water, I remember ordering booze hahaha.)
The excursions can be a lot of fun, and the Alaska cruise shows land most of the time, much of it very interesting.
Add Vancouver BC to the list of WEst Coast places you can get to by Amtrak for a cruise.
I believe there are lots of shorter cruises to MExico from San Diego now, if you don't want to do Alaska.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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The last time we rented Tuxedos on a ship it was about $75.00 (including shoes!!). Not worth it for a short cruise but certainly so for a longer one with two or three formal nights.
I have often ordered more than one appetizer and one night ate only appetizers and a salad. And, of course, dessert.
Yes, bottled water is something you will pay for. And also soft drinks. That's why you will sometimes see folks wheeling on a case of the soft drink of their choice.
Give it a try, Smitty. You just might get hooked.
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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This seems to be wandering from Amtrak, but then trains and ships are about the last civilized way to travel. While long ago I have taken ships when they were transportation from A to B and more recently on small -120 passenger- adventure cruise type ships, never been on one of today's huge floating hotels. What do you think of Cunard, Sabalax? A transatlantic journey might be a good way to give it a try.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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Train lady, you use 5 minute grits? All I know about grits came from the film "My Cousin Vinny". "No self-respecting southerner uses instant grits. I take pride in my grits."
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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1. I live in NORTHERN VIRGINIA 2. being a night owl it is hard enough to function in the morning without having to wait for hours for my grits to cook. 3. Cousin Vinnie most likely came from Southern Italy. 4. I bet Amtrak uses quick cooking grits.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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We've never been on Cunard but friends who have enjoyed it. And the fact that it's owned by Carnival is apparently not that apparent!
There are plenty of other ways to do a Transatlantic, though. We've now done four: Two on Celebrity Constellation (our favorite ship), one on Azamara Journey (Smaller ship -- only 750 pax) and one on RCL Navigator of the Seas which was too large for our taste.
I don't think I've ever seen grits on a cruise ship but I bet they would find some for you if you asked. No really isn't a word I've heard very often on board.
Frank in HOT SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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While I extend all due respect to the devotees of both, the only place I encounter grits are for Breakfast at the Marriott Courtyard in Roswell GA. For me it's "take 'em or leave 'em". For Member Bill Haithcoat, who often joins me there for "meet ups", it is "take 'em' and I defer to him to pass on any culinary judgements on the offering.
As for cruises, that's a 'been there done that' in this life. While before making that final one way journey it would be nice to see the Panama Canal, I'm not sure if it is worth ten days of 'contrived merriment' aboard the Love Tub, let alone $3K for passage, and easily another K for the 'extras'.
Oh wellPosts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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If I could afford it, I'd LOVE to take Holland America's transatlantic Viking Cruise, which stops in Newfoundland, Greenland and Iceland and has an excursion to the Viking ruins in Newfoundland, which I hear are fantastic. But I don't see how I ever will, unless I stop doing all other trips . . . it's VERY pricey.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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GBN expressed interest in the Panama Canal but, as he said, he does not love "Love Tubs" (and neither do I, for that matter). A friend who knows my diffidence about cruising recommended Road Scholar (formerly Elderhostel) for an air trip to the Canal -- and there's a train involved.
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