Caledonian Sleeper

[Davester50]

One isn't exactly paying hostel prices for a ensuite room on the Sleeper though so I don't think its unreasonable to expect an unused bed to be folded away when paying possibly quite far northwards of £200. If its was a bargain berth I wouldn't mind.

I also mentioned hotels. I've stayed in plenty more expensive than the sleeper hotel rooms, and never have had beds removed. Can you give examples where, by default, they take out any extra beds?
With the over-riding poor design of the new sleepers, I'm happy with the extra storage provided by the spare bed. It also gives an opportunity to avoid being directly over the noisy wheels using the top bunk.

I totally agree that the email you received is tosh. That's the biggest problem.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I also mentioned hotels. I've stayed in plenty more expensive than the sleeper hotel rooms, and never have had beds removed. Can you give examples where, by default, they take out any extra beds?

Extra beds in decent hotels (3* and up) are not bunk beds over the top of your head and thus aren't in the way in the same way, though. Plus hotels have different rooms with different numbers of beds.

 

[williamn]

I also mentioned hotels. I've stayed in plenty more expensive than the sleeper hotel rooms, and never have had beds removed. Can you give examples where, by default, they take out any extra beds?
With the over-riding poor design of the new sleepers, I'm happy with the extra storage provided by the spare bed. It also gives an opportunity to avoid being directly over the noisy wheels using the top bunk.

I totally agree that the email you received is tosh. That's the biggest problem.

The beds are designed to fold away, so its not outrageous to expect them to be when the room only has one person in it. Not many hotel rooms that cost £260 (ok, take £100 off for the travel bit, but it's still a lot) have another bed a few foot above you and nowhere you can sit up straight without that bed being folded away.

 

[221129]

Does the Fort William section still stop at Queen St North bound?

 

[island]

I quite like to be able to sit upright. A bunk bed generally makes that impossible.

Then there’s the guff justifying it.

This, basically.

With the top bunk down I can‘t sit up straight without banging my head.

 

[berneyarms]

Does the Fort William section still stop at Queen St North bound?

Shown as stopping in the working timetable but as an unadvertised service stop in the public timetable.

 

[Davester50]

Extra beds in decent hotels (3* and up) are not bunk beds over the top of your head and thus aren't in the way in the same way, though. Plus hotels have different rooms with different numbers of beds.

The beds are designed to fold away, so its not outrageous to expect them to be when the room only has one person in it. Not many hotel rooms that cost £260 (ok, take £100 off for the travel bit, but it's still a lot) have another bed a few foot above you and nowhere you can sit up straight without that bed being folded away.

Which is why comparing it to a hotel was bunkum, pun intended.

 

[xotGD]

Thanks to those who replied to my question on the 66+73 combos.

Also a good way to sell empty space to a few cranks, perhaps?

 

[Starmill]

Apologies if I've missed this. In an Investor update, Seatfrog say they'll be rolling out upgrades for Caledonian Sleeper in July.

 

[6Z09]

Because it is slippy as anything out there at the moment.

Sarcasm surely?
I don't believe for a minute that the use of 66s is anything to do with weather.

 

[popeter45]

Apologies if I've missed this. In an Investor update, Seatfrog say they'll be rolling out upgrades for Caledonian Sleeper in July.

any idea how that will work?, would be a bit confusing to change rooms just prior to departure
thou a £10-£30 upgrade to the larger beds would be amazing

 

[trebor79]

any idea how that will work?, would be a bit confusing to change rooms just prior to departure
thou a £10-£30 upgrade to the larger beds would be amazing

It would be, but I suspect it'll be more than that. I declined to upgrade my LNER tickets this week, £15 and £14 for 2 hours and a little over 1 hour in first didn't feel worth it.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The Sleeper will be reverting to 8 car rakes this coming weekend, meaning a return to the full 16 cars in and out of Euston.

 

[Ranmor]

Just had this notification from them which I'm really not happy about having purchased a flexipass. Can't see how it's anything but just a way to make their lives easier.

Thank you so much for your recent Club Solo Occupancy Room booking with us. We are really excited to welcome you aboard here at Caledonian Sleeper. We have missed our guests!


We are contacting you to let you know that there has been a change to our Club Solo Occupancy Rooms. Now, like the name suggests, you are still going to have this room all to yourself but you will notice that the top bunk has been deployed when you board and enter your booked room. This is a big change for both you and us, however, after speaking with our on-board team, guests and the dedicated team who prepare our beloved trains, we know that this is the right decision.


The good news is that if you decide last minute to bring a friend along with you, you absolutely can by just paying the walk-up fare at the station.


I am personally wishing you a lovely journey and stay when the time comes.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 May 2021 ==

But how will you know which bed is freshly made, the previous occupant may have tried one or the other for a while, I probably would to compare which gave the better ride. Some people might think they get more bang for their buck by using both beds in turn. Naturally the cleaning team will only change the lower one if they see that has been occupied, very unlikely they will change both. Seems exactly the wrong practice in times of Covid.

 

[williamn]

I was thinking that. I suspect they will have to be changing bedding in both beds irrespective of whether they have been used or not.

 

[Journeyman]

I was thinking that. I suspect they will have to be changing bedding in both beds irrespective of whether they have been used or not.

They always have done that.

 

[JonathanH]

Also a good way to sell empty space to a few cranks, perhaps?

I doubt it the uplift in revenue is substantial at all.

Anyway, 66755 is off this morning with 73969 and 73970 back in action working to Aberdeen.

 

[Jamesrob637]

The Sleeper will be reverting to 8 car rakes this coming weekend, meaning a return to the full 16 cars in and out of Euston.

First time since March 2020 or was it full-length during the easing of restrictions last summer/autumn?

 

[andbrads]

The $64K question is - will the dining car reopen?!

 

[Bletchleyite]

The $64K question is - will the dining car reopen?!

I'd imagine it will in due course, yes. Though I can't see staff giving up their Avanti-Coach-K-style messroom easily!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

First time since March 2020 or was it full-length during the easing of restrictions last summer/autumn?

Not sure...

 

[andbrads]

I'd imagine it will in due course, yes. Though I can't see staff giving up their Avanti-Coach-K-style messroom easily!

They are really dragging their feet over this and p!ssing off a lot of people now that restaurants are open in both countries and other operators are doing at-seat service again, one look at their Twitter shows several people asking this daily. They are heavily promoting the service as a luxury, bucket-list experience so not having the club car shows it up for the bait and switch marketing it is.

 

[Grumpy Git]

I get the impression the people running the sleeper want to have this "lemonade" product at "champagne" prices?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I get the impression the people running the sleeper want to have this "lemonade" product at "champagne" prices?

Well, quite. Much as I think it needs a restaurant car, I think OeBB Nightjet is perhaps better positioned in the market as an alternative to a budget airline and a reasonably priced hotel like a Premier Inn.

 

[norbitonflyer]

I doubt it the uplift in revenue is substantial at all.

Anyway, 66755 is off this morning with 73969 and 73970 back in action working to Aberdeen.

Why are they using two 73s on the Aberdeen? It's usually only the Inverness portion which needs two.

(Hoping 66s will still be operating when I use the sleeper next month.........)

 

[JonathanH]

Why are they using two 73s on the Aberdeen? It's usually only the Inverness portion which needs two.

Probably as a first run out for these two after works attention. The Aberdeen trip is the least demanding of the three.

 

[AberdeenBill]

Well, quite. Much as I think it needs a restaurant car, I think OeBB Nightjet is perhaps better positioned in the market as an alternative to a budget airline and a reasonably priced hotel like a Premier Inn.

I used CS over the weekend and subsequently received one of those 'Satisfaction Surveys' from an organisation called Transport Focus. It contained the usual tedious questions but it had an interesting one 'which hotel brand do you think CS is most aligned to'. I cant remember the exact words but it was along those lines and then listed a number of examples ranging from top end hotels down to budget groups. I chose the 'Premier Inn' standard which from memory wasn't at the lowest end of the range but in the bottom third. Found it a bit strange that they were using hotels as a comparison / analogy but suppose that kind of fits with the 'hotel on wheels' perception that CS try and market.

 

[Grumpy Git]

P

I used CS over the weekend and subsequently received one of those 'Satisfaction Surveys' from an organisation called Transport Focus. It contained the usual tedious questions but it had an interesting one 'which hotel brand do you think CS is most aligned to'. I cant remember the exact words but it was along those lines and then listed a number of examples ranging from top end hotels down to budget groups. I chose the 'Premier Inn' standard which from memory wasn't at the lowest end of the range but in the bottom third. Found it a bit strange that they were using hotels as a comparison / analogy but suppose that kind of fits with the 'hotel on wheels' perception that CS try and market.

Premier Inn is quite a decent hotel in terms of the quality of the room fittings and bed/bed-linen (towels are crap though). On the other hand Travelodge is really like a cell with a carpet (if you're lucky).

 

[Bletchleyite]

I used CS over the weekend and subsequently received one of those 'Satisfaction Surveys' from an organisation called Transport Focus. It contained the usual tedious questions but it had an interesting one 'which hotel brand do you think CS is most aligned to'. I cant remember the exact words but it was along those lines and then listed a number of examples ranging from top end hotels down to budget groups. I chose the 'Premier Inn' standard which from memory wasn't at the lowest end of the range but in the bottom third. Found it a bit strange that they were using hotels as a comparison / analogy but suppose that kind of fits with the 'hotel on wheels' perception that CS try and market.

I'd go with Travelodge for the "bits falling off" issues. Premier Inn I find are good at maintenance and everything in the room generally works fine with no "bodging" apparent.

That kind of thing matters to me at any price level - you can do budget without bits falling off and dirty rooms - Ibis Budget is an example of a good quality well-run budget hotel. Travelodge fails entirely, and CS from what people are saying sounds similar.

 

[trebor79]

CS is definitely better than Ibis Budget. I stayed in an Ibis Budget once (and the price was definitely not budget!) and it was absolutely dreadful. Surly staff, broken air con, tiny room with the bad jammed against 3 walls and the shower cubicle was in the bedroom! Good job I wasn't sharing with a colleague.

I wrote a blistering complaint email and got half my money back, but even then it was still very poor value.

I'd rate CS somewhere between Travelodge and Premier Inn. But I'd sleep better in either of those establishments than the sleeper!