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October 2023 by Dan M.
Recently did this and had an enjoyable time. It seems a bit more geared toward tourists, but even as a resident, I found some of the narrated tour facts new and interesting. There are some great views along the ride. The food was very good and the wait staff were friendly and attentive. The one criticism I have is that the person giving fact and history talked far too much. The speakers system is loud, too loud. So every time she spoke, out conversation had to be put in hold. They should consider cutting out some of the narration and having the tour narrator realize that she doesn't need to fill in gaps with uninteresting comments. The speaker volume should also be loaded. I would prefer to socialize with my companion and only hear the things along to your that are actually interesting historical facts. Leave time for people to relax and enjoy their meal together.
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October 2023 by Aaron G.
Amazing anniversary on the Cape Cod Railroad Dinner Train We recently rode on the Cape Cod Dinner Train, with a wine tasting event for our anniversary. From getting out tickets, to boarding the train quickly thanks to our very gracious conductor Bryan, we immediately felt right at home. The Illinois Central livery on our vista dome passenger car was very colorful and the restoration inside was top flight. This made the sightseeing during our ride incredible. Our waiter David was awesome. He kept us well fed with the six course tasting menu and made us feel truly welcome. The food was outstanding. Far better than many restaurants we've eaten at. All dishes were hot and perfectly cooked. The wine pairings from Truro Vineyards were great choices. This is a "must do" even if you are locals like we are. Definitely going back to enjoy this unique experience.
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September 2023 by Linda G.
On September 15, 2023 we booked the premium car and we had a wonderful time! The food was delicious and hot! I had the pork chop and my husband had the sole. I am a very picky eater but I loved everything from the butternut squash and the blue berry & strawberry tart (delicious). The service was great! We were celebrating our Anniversary and it was the perfect evening.
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July 2023 by Molly M.
What a fun & luxurious activity! I was greeted by a neatly uniformed conductor who led me to my party. We booked the premium car so the views were amazing. Crisp white tablecloths with spotless silverware placed properly. That in itself is a treat these days! Our waiter, also dressed for the part, was attentive & fun. Dinner started with crudite of fresh veggies & yummy cheese spread. The rolls... I'm still thinking about the rolls. The salad was delicious. It was so fresh & the dressing was perfect. I had beef tenderloin which was amazing & my friends both had swordfish, which they loved. Coffee was served immediately after dinner, before dessert, which is another lost art. Dessert was so good, chocolate banana cream on some pastry thing. During the ride big band music played softly. Big bands remind me of my grandpa & I felt so sentimental. Like I was getting a little slice of times gone by. The announcer pointed out many interesting places & shared some history without being overbearing at all. I read a few complaints about the price. A true fine dining experience, while riding thru beautiful cape cod.....sure I had to save up, but it was totally worth it!
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June 2023 by Eileen B.
We were in the most expensive car which had 6 tables of 2. And the bar. It was great. Food was good. My husband loved his tenderloin. I had the vegetable risotto. I felt it could have had more veggies, only zucchini, summer squash and onions. It came with potatoes. That is strange. So I gave my husband those and took his asparagus. We only got one roll each. Think there should have been a bread basket. Dessert was a banana creme tart. It was good but a bit runny. The bartender was very nice and attentive. It was a bit cold in the car cause it was raining and ac was on. Glad I had a coat. Overall it was a good time. Think we would like to try the beer or wine tasting train.
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September 2022 by Constance S.
I recently took the Saturday excursion. This is not a good fit for anyone with mobility issues - a Walker, cane, or any foot problems - because it is a long walk to board the train. Arrangements should be made for these folks. The commentary is fine, but you hear pretty much the same thing in both directions. And the train doesn't turn around at the end, so everyone sees the same landscape coming and going. And finally, the music is awful. whenever there is no commentary, the music is anything from Dave Brubeck jazz, Bluegrass, country, Arlo Guthrie, Tony Bennett and the Monkees. it's very weird. This was an okay excursion, but nothing special.
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September 2022 by Kristeen K.
What a fun time!! I'm visiting from west coast and family planned this. I loved it all! We were welcomed aboard to a lovely seating area. Water and cheese plate on the table. Everyone was so nice and never stopped moving. We had a wonderful meal. Truthfully I never expect much in the way of food for something like this but I was very happy with what was starved. Made right on the train, hot and delicious. Drinks came quickly and often. The servers always had a smile. I loved this experience. The scenery was amazing. Overall great!!!
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July 2022 by Bridget K.
What a great time. Lovely scenery, good food, drinks and service. We will be back for sure.
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July 2022 by Nolan S.
We took the Mother's Day train excellent food I got the waffle and great views of the canal cute station and gives you a flower for the mother and perfect food!
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June 2022 by Susan C.
Had so much fun the food was amazing. Service was great. Music was very mellow. Food was hot and so delicious!!
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June 2022 by Rick B.
The Cape Cod Central Railroad is a heritage railroad located on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It operates on a rail line known as the Cape Main Line which is owned by Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The line was previously owned and operated by the Cape Cod Railroad, the Old Colony Railroad, and later the New Haven Railroad, each of which operated passenger trains on the line from 1854 to 1959. Although it is the namesake of the Cape Cod Central Railroad (1861-68), the two companies are unrelated.
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December 2021 by Shawn R.
We are set to go this Saturday night for the polar express train in the first class car. My sons are special needs and we are making an activity banner for them for their patches. There's a ton of stuff they're not able to do due to their disabilities but they love trains. I called in September and inquired about patches and ordered patches for the family. I was told by the lady who answered the phone that she checked the inventory on the computer and they had plenty. She said she added a note to our reservation regarding the patches. She said she would grab them the next day or two or at the latest when they shut down the buzzard's bay depot in October. I asked if I should call back in Oct and she told me there was no need as she had added the note to our reservation. My wife got a call today Dec 9, 2021 telling us they don't have any patches and are searching for a new embroidery company. What happened to filling my order that week or in OCT. How did my order not get taken care of before they sold out to the crowds in Nov or Dec?? THIS COMPANY (EVEN A NON PROFIT IS STILL A COMPANY) IS OBVIOUSLY RUN BY UNPROFESSIONAL FOLKS WHO HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS. THEY HAVE NO QUALMS CHARGING A TON OF MONEY FOR COACH NEVER MIND FIRST CLASS. I placed a call to them today when we got home from shopping @ 4pm. I asked to speak to the GM or owner. The lady that answered the phone took a message and said she would have the manager call me when they got in around 5pmish and they got a moment due to the polar express train tonight. I also agree that it's ridiculous charging people $5 to park in your own lot when you're already charging $39- $99 per person ages 3+ to ride the train. I will update if I get a call and with what the results of this whole mess ends up as.
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October 2021 by Teresa G.
The dinner train was apparently not prepared to accommodate anyone with mobility issues. I was treated to this on 9/30/21 as a birthday gift, and we were to dine in the upper level of one of the end cars. It was quite a walk. I will give them credit for offering a wheel chair, but none was visible. Dinner was fine, the ride out was fine, coming back it was pitch black. My disappointment was during disembarking. Apparently there was a bus tour, so it was quite crowded. Everyone was herded in the direction we started at, only to be turned back because the gate was locked. Not one staff person we passed on our way out could tell us we were headed in the wrong direction to exit. Once turned around, I asked a group of 3 young men why they hadn't advised us we were going in the wrong direction... answer? Maybe they wanted you to burn off those calories from dinner! Really? The conductor was of no help, only advising us to turn back and go around the wrought iron fence. As we finally neared our car, there he was, obviously having taken that shortcut through that locked gate that no one could access. In my opinion, this was a disorganized mess. They knew they had a bus tour, who would be picked up at a designated area, and others who came on their own. Couldn't they have put up signs directing folks to the proper exit? Can they train their staff to have more respect and patience for those who are no longer spry and agile?
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August 2021 by David C.
My wife and I are heading down the East Coast from Maine to North Carolina, savoring the flavors of local cuisine along the way and participating in local events. An activity we enjoy immensely is a cruise on the water. Everywhere we stay for more than a day, we are certain to book passage on a boat for on hour or so of fun and sights we would not otherwise see. We also love dinner cruises and so I started looking for one and found this cruise; a land cruise in a refurbished train. I love trains and miss the times when steam engines regularly roared past my childhood home. The thrill of hearing the distant wail of the whistle was our cue to run down to the track and watch the train speed by as we waved to the engineer who would give us an obliging toot-toot on his whistle. This was a time when passenger rail service was the stuff of romance, intrigue and thrilling excitement. There are four classes of service on the Cape Cod passenger train that makes a 3-hour, 50 mile round trip between Hyannis and Village of Sandwich. We booked the Platinum Class excursion which is traveled in the plush comfort of a dining car on a former Santa Fe full-length dome car build in the 1950's. Tables for four and two larger booths are arranged so that all passengers can enjoy premium views. While waiting to board the train, a man played classic songs on a saxophone to begin setting the mood. When our boarding group was called, we were led to our car by a smartly dressed conductor who obviously enjoyed his job immensely. We boarded the train and were shown to our table adorned with a small vase of flowers. The table tops were set with flatware meticulously laid in the order we would use the utensils. The table was covered with a linen tablecloth and of course, cranberry colored cloth napkins. Also on the table was the first offering of our 5-course dinner consisting of a salmon and cream cheese piped dollop, celery, carrots, cherry tomatoes, grapes and crackers. Our server, David, stopped by our table, introduced himself and took our cocktail orders. Music from the Big Band era played softly over the speaker system, further setting the atmosphere. While snacking on the appetizers, the train whistle blew and we were on our way. Over the course of the next two hours, we were served a delicious selection of food. The second course was a delightfully rich corn chowder. By this time, the rhythmic sounds of klickety klack, klickety klack, klickety klack and the gentle swaying of the train cars had begun. The third course was a fresh garden salad, plated beautifully with a fun carrot that had been artfully julienned, cherry tomatoes, mangoes and avocados drizzled with a refreshing oil and vinaigrette dressing. The train moved through small villages, passed by cranberry bogs, salt marshes and stately homes, with brief glimpses of the Cape and the Atlantic. The train followied alongside the 107-year-old Cape Cod Canal, dredged between Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south. The canal is seven miles in length which cuts through the narrow point of the Cape Cod peninsula, saving 65-166 miles of sometimes dangerous travel around the tip of the Cape. The fourth course was a butterflied tenderloin, cooked to medium rare, drizzled with a chimichurri sauce and garnished with petite asparagus spears. By this time, we were approaching the Cape Cod Canal Bridge, a draw bridge built in 1935. We paused before crossing while a large ship passed through the raised draw bridge platforms and then we were again on our way. The fifth course was a delicious freshly made Italian waffle (pizzzelli) piped with Mascarpone cheese, garnished with strawberries and blueberries, served with coffee to complete the delicious and beautifully prepared 5-course meal. We stopped as the crew changed positions (there was an engine at both ends of the 6-car train) and then the train's whistle announced the beginning of our return trip. This leg of the trip was a faster speed and by now, the sun had set. By the time we arrived back at the depot, three and a half
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August 2021 by Robert F.
I took my two grandchildren and it was expensive (a total of $158)!!! The narrator went on and on and on, which was very annoying. The kicker was that it was advertised as being roughly two hours in duration, but they neglected to mention that the maritime traffic has the right of way, so we had to wait over an hour on the train because of traffic in the canal, so the trip was waaaaaaaaay longer than anticipated. My grandchildren (ages 10 and eight) are patient to a point, but they got increasingly, but understandably, BORED!!! I would not recommend this "attraction" to anyone with a schedule to keep because it can throw a real monkey wrench into your day. Thumbs down.