Getting to the pier via Amtrak

Has anyone ever taken a long train trip to a cruise port? We are sailing from Tampa on the Sun in 2015 and are toying with the notion of taking an Amtrak train from New York's Penn Station to the Tampa Amtrak Station.

It would be about a 25 hour trip, but I reckon we'll be much more relaxed and have the chance to enjoy an early adventure at the start of vacation!

Good idea, or bad idea?

Has anyone ever taken a long train trip to a cruise port? We are sailing from Tampa on the Sun in 2015 and are toying with the notion of taking an Amtrak train from New York's Penn Station to the Tampa Amtrak Station.

 

It would be about a 25 hour trip, but I reckon we'll be much more relaxed and have the chance to enjoy an early adventure at the start of vacation!

 

Good idea, or bad idea?

We spent four days on Amtrak going from Los Angeles to Orlando for a cruise out of Canaveral, and it was great.

Be sure to build some time into your schedule so if the train is delayed, you won't miss the ship.

We spent four days on Amtrak going from Los Angeles to Orlando for a cruise out of Canaveral, and it was great.

 

Be sure to build some time into your schedule so if the train is delayed, you won't miss the ship.

Wow! That is a long train trip! Sounds like a great adventure was had by all.

We figured we would leave on Friday from NYC and get to Tampa sometime Saturday afternoon. We'll book a hotel in the area and head to the pier for embarkation on Sunday. I am not really familiar with how well the trains run, but would you consider that enough time for delays?

We took Amtrak from Boston to Baltimore last year. We traveled the day before and stayed at a hotel that offered shuttle service to the pier. It was nice not have to rush to catch a flight the day of. Ours was just a 7 hour trip. We packed a cooler with snacks and drinks. It definitely was better financially for us than flying with 3 kids and Dh. The only thing I didn't like was that my family was split up for bit because the train was sold out. That in itself would have been ok too, but dealing with a 9 month old on the train without the others right there was a pain at times, fortunately she took decent naps back then :)

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Wow! That is a long train trip! Sounds like a great adventure was had by all.

 

We figured we would leave on Friday from NYC and get to Tampa sometime Saturday afternoon. We'll book a hotel in the area and head to the pier for embarkation on Sunday. I am not really familiar with how well the trains run, but would you consider that enough time for delays?

You should be safe with that much time in your schedule. Think about booking a sleeper if the cost is not too much. The meals are included in the price, and it is nice to be able to stretch out and sleep a little on a 24 hour trip or longer.

We've done Toronto - New York a few times.... its fun.

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It was nice not have to rush to catch a flight the day of. Ours was just a 7 hour trip. We packed a cooler with snacks and drinks.

I agree, it is a nice alternative from getting onto a plane. Thanks for the idea of bringing on our own cooler with drinks and snacks!

You should be safe with that much time in your schedule. Think about booking a sleeper if the cost is not too much. The meals are included in the price, and it is nice to be able to stretch out and sleep a little on a 24 hour trip or longer.

Thanks for your advice! We are looking looking at everything and getting the planning done before the schedule is posted for the rail trip.

Has anyone ever heard of NCL and Amtrak doing a deal together to offer rail pax's discounts? I remember reading about this somewhere in the past, but with the search feature not working well, I cannot locate anything...

I agree, it is a nice alternative from getting onto a plane. Thanks for the idea of bringing on our own cooler with drinks and snacks!

 

 

 

Thanks for your advice! We are looking looking at everything and getting the planning done before the schedule is posted for the rail trip.

 

Has anyone ever heard of NCL and Amtrak doing a deal together to offer rail pax's discounts? I remember reading about this somewhere in the past, but with the search feature not working well, I cannot locate anything...

Check this for the discounts. It shows 20% for coach or 15% for sleeper. The NCL code is pretty far down on the list. The discount is for 2014, but keep checking because it will probably be renewed.

http://www.railserve.com/amtrak_coupons.htm

The good news is the station is only 5 minutes from the pier. A very inexpensive taxi ride.

Check this for the discounts. It shows 20% for coach or 15% for sleeper. The NCL code is pretty far down on the list. The discount is for 2014, but keep checking because it will probably be renewed.

 

http://www.railserve.com/amtrak_coupons.htm

I knew someone would come through on this! Thank you again!

:D:D:D

From what I understand, Amtrak discount codes work off the full fare only. You can normally beat this by booking more than two weeks out for the advance purchase rate.

I will never take a train that takes 20 hours again without purchasing a compartment. Last time we took Amtrack from Orlando to NJ and did not have a compartment and I hated it. It was the longest 20 hours of my life. Just make sure you check for bed bugs because they are very common on trains. I know they can be on planes too, but train compartments are pretty common.

I did a little digging on NCL's website and came across this. Lots of blackout doates, but still a good offer. I will have to hope they renew the promotion for sailings in 2015.

http://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/amtrak

Be very wary of doing this in the winter. Amtrak service between Boston and Washington is frequently disrupted by snow storms. (Of course airline flights are also disrupted.)

I took Amtrak from NYC to Ft. Lauderdale in December. I usually love

Train travel. Been on several high speed trains in Europe a number of

Times and take the train around the Northeast all the time. However

I hated this one. I could not sleep a wink. 27 hours is a long time with

No sleep. Maybe a sleeper cabin would make things better, but the

Cost rises quite a bit. Plus some of the passengers are strange and others

Are inconsiderate. I was thinking of doing a cross country trip on Amtrak.

But after this, I scratched that one off my bucket list.

The schedule of leaving Friday for a Sunday departure gives you plenty of leeway for delays. It's unusual for the Silvers to be _hours_ late, though you should expect delays. Spending extra for a roomette or bedroom depends on how you like to travel. Personally, I can do without it for one night. I think they're very claustrophobic at night, though I like them in their daytime configuration. Coach seats have high backs, and if there are two of you, they afford a sense of privacy when reclined; i.e., you can't see anybody else and they can't see you, except of course the aisle across. Pack enough food, snacks, and entertainment. It's a very relaxing way to travel.

Are you thinking one way or round trip:confused:

We did Amtrak going (loved it with sleeper car) and flew home (needed to get back for work on Mondag) and it worked out well

We would do the same thing. Amtrak down the East coast to Tampa, then after the cruise take airfare back to the Northeast.

Has anyone had issues with getting their luggage on the trains? I understand there is a "baggage car"...Not sure if that means once the bags are in there, they become inaccessible?

Winter travel does make me slightly nervous...But it is what it is, no matter what. I figure if anything, giving me 2 days to get to the port (leave Friday morning for a Sunday embarkation) will help us get to the port on time if there are any delays.

We would do the same thing. Amtrak down the East coast to Tampa, then after the cruise take airfare back to the Northeast.

 

Has anyone had issues with getting their luggage on the trains? I understand there is a "baggage car"...Not sure if that means once the bags are in there, they become inaccessible?

 

Winter travel does make me slightly nervous...But it is what it is, no matter what. I figure if anything, giving me 2 days to get to the port (leave Friday morning for a Sunday embarkation) will help us get to the port on time if there are any delays.

I alway feared the same thing. We always just took our luggage on board with us. Every passenger is allow 1 50lb bag.

This does sound interesting. If you are doing it for fun. Great. To save money. You won't save all that much. If you are afraid to fly. I guess it is an option.

The bed bug thing would concern me and yes I know bed bugs can be found anywhere

This does sound interesting. If you are doing it for fun. Great. To save money. You won't save all that much. If you are afraid to fly. I guess it is an option.

Not afraid to fly...Just looking for an adventure! :D

We'll be taking Amtrak's Coast Starlight LA to Seattle for our Alaska Cruise. The Amtrak sleeper accommodations were paid for with Amtrak Guest Rewards points. For us, taking the train is part of the vacation, not just a means of getting to the vacation!

...Has anyone had issues with getting their luggage on the trains? I understand there is a "baggage car"...Not sure if that means once the bags are in there, they become inaccessible?...

You may check luggage, provided your embarkation/debarkation train stations BOTH provide checked luggage service. NYP and TPA Amtrak stations both have this. Your luggage will be in the baggage car, and will NOT be accessible during the trip. You'll need to pack a carryon. As already mentioned, you can carry on your luggage, up to Amtrak's limit, if you're in coach. If you're in a bedroom or roomette, there likely won't be enough room for luggage unless you're traveling solo and light, and you'll need to check your luggage.

Coach or sleeper there is some luggage storage on the lower level of each car in addition to checked luggage. You might go over to the Amtrak Unlimited forum for lots of Amtrak specific discussion

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The Silver trains running on the east coast use single level Viewliner cars . You're correct that Superliner cars (the long distance trains running west of Chicago) are two-level trains that have limited luggage storage on the lower level.