February 2023
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View of New York from Manhattan cruise terminal |
Our cruise ship arrived at the Manhattan terminal and was ready for passengers to disembark before 8:00 AM. Our Amtrak ride was not until 3:40 PM, so we took our time disembarking, and then walked to Moynihan Train Hall. The walk was 1½ miles, which was not difficult even with our luggage.
I am sharing info about the train station, and just a bit about the train ride in this post. You can find additional information about the train ride in my previous post about our train ride from Toledo to New York City.
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Moynihan Train Hall in New York City |
Metropolitan lounge, baggage check, and boarding in Moynihan Train Hall
The following passengers have access to the lounge in New York City: Amtrak Guest Rewards members with Select Plus or Select Executive status, Amtrak Guest Rewards station lounge pass holders, and passengers with first class or private room tickets. A roomette is a private room, so we had access to the lounge. Fortunately, there was not a time limit for how long we could be in the lounge, because we arrived before noon.
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Metropolitan Lounge in Moynihan Train Hall |
Once we checked in at the lounge, we were able to come and go, if we did not want to remain in the lounge the entire time. We had entered Moynihan Hall from 9th Street, so we saw Metropolitan Lounge before the baggage check area. Once inside the lounge, we observed an escalator from the lounge to the boarding area, which is also where the checked baggage counter is located. We were able to use the lounge escalator to access baggage check, and check our bags several hours before our trip. The agent in the lounge told us we could check our bags 24 hours ahead of time, if we wanted. When we first purchased our coach seats (before upgrading to a roomette), I had tried to find this information on Amtrak's website without success. I even called the train station to ask how far in advance we could check our bags, and I never reached a person. I left two messages, and no one ever called me back. It is great to know that bag check is available early, for passengers who want to explore the city until departure.
We were a bit concerned about the weight of our larger bag, since it had weighed 49 lbs. on our trip out. There is a scale on the customer side of the counter to check bag weight and size (like the photo I shared in the Toledo station); however, it was not working. The person who took our bag did not seem to care; he merely hoisted the bag right over the working scale without weighing it, and then provided tags.
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Looking toward balcony seating and boarding area from Metropolitan Lounge in Moynihan Train Hall |