Amtrak offers full bedroom upgrades which come with a private bathroom and shower, but we couldn’t justify paying several hundred dollars more for one.
Instead, roomette passengers share a shower room and public bathrooms — in our car, I counted one upstairs and three downstairs. At least one was always available when we needed it.
The bathrooms were just fine, though the toilet’s loud, dramatic sucking sound during each flush was a bit jarring, and it was tricky to use the small sink basin without getting puddles on the floor.
My girlfriend also found out the hard way when somebody almost walked in on her that she had to pull the bathroom door shut and muscle the lock to the right, like she was sealing an airlock, or the “occupied” light wouldn’t turn on.
There’s limited counter space in these bathrooms, so I suggest bringing a personal toiletry bag with a loop that you can hang it on the door hook. You’ll thank me.
The shower room, located next to the lower-level bathrooms, had a fold-down changing table, small seat area, counter space, and a handheld shower head that swayed with the train. I kept it aimed away from the shower door to avoid enacting Noah’s flood.
Water pressure? Not great, but adequate. Water temperature? Surprisingly excellent.
Amtrak provided us with towels and a wrapped bar of soap, but no shampoo or conditioner. You’ll probably want to pack your own.
