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Crosscountry First Class

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tigerroar

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I've done a quick search and nothing obvious has come up, so...

I've just booked first class tickets from Manchester Piccadilly on a 1900 service. Do we get food and drinks on board? And what type?

Never been first class before.
 
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tigerroar

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I was hoping for a little bit of experience to be fair, I've already read that page and it doesn't really tell me too much.
 

Starmill

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That service doesn't seem the most liklely to have a First Class host, although it could do. Perhaps someone who has access to the XC Intranet can check for you? If nobody can look it up you could try tweeting them, they will probably tell you. If your train has a First Class host and a Retail Service Manager (whose job it is usually to sell refreshments in standard class) you will generally receive the complimentary menu as at the link provided. The Menu is provided as shown on the map there on weekdays only 0600-2000.

If there is a staff shortage or your train is not diagrammed with a First Class host, the Retail Service Manager will serve you drinks and snacks when they can, between going through Standard Class. If there are no catering staff on the train, the Train Manager may be able to serve you when they have completed all of their other duties, but this is only likely to be a drink and snacks and they may not offer you anything at all. I have never been served the full menu, usually down to a staff shortage for my rare weekday travels. The things I've been served by the RSMs at the weekend or during other times of staff shortage are nice enough, cups of tea coffee or hot chocolate, coke or diet coke, still or sparkling water or fruit juice. Packets of cake, biscuits and crisps were the main snacks. I once used the 1107 from Manchester Piccadilly but the menu wasn't available. The Train Manager told me that most of the services in the middle of the day weren't even booked for a First Class host!
 
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ainsworth74

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What does this have to do with trip planning?

Requests for info on first class catering don't really sit anywhere that comfortably but it is felt that the best fit is in this sub-forum. You'll notice that various other threads about first class catering (including the long running VTEC first class catering thread) are in this sub-forum.
 

221129

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presuming you mean the 1907 or 1927 then the 1907 has an RSM booked to be on board so they should serve you when they come through. And the 1927 has an RSM booked as far as New Street. After that there is no catering.
 

TT-ONR-NRN

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I travel on XC 1st quite regularly in the school holidays, albeit only between Reading and Basingstoke. On weekdays I normally get a Sandwich/Wrap with Crisps, A Cream Tea or Hot Breakfast Muffin. You can get all of these on weekdays, but weekends see Kettle Chips (which are 3 times as unhealthy as Walkers apparently), Shortbread Fingers or very nice Fruit Cake and thats it. You get these on weekdays too if you want.
 
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TT-ONR-NRN

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Warning though: When you try out first class, standard class suddenly feels awful afterwards, whether you loved it before or not. You probably wont be able to go back!
 

221129

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I travel on XC 1st quite regularly in the school holidays, albeit only between Reading and Basingstoke. On weekdays I normally get a Sandwich/Wrap with Crisps, A Cream Tea or Hot Breakfast Muffin. You can get all of these on weekdays, but weekends see Kettle Chips (which are 3 times as unhealthy as Walkers apparently), Shortbread Fingers or very nice Fruit Cake and thats it. You get these on weekdays too if you want.

The items in bold you are fairly unlikely to get in the evenings. Shortbread was withdrawn several months ago too...
 
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TT-ONR-NRN

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The items in bold you are fairly unlikely to get in the evenings. Shortbread was withdrawn several months ago too...

Maybe unlikely when you travel, but not for me, as long as it is a Bournemouth service as opposed to one terminating short at Southampton Ctrl. A: Cream Teas are on the all day menu, B: I've had many a breakfast muffin on the evening trains.

Oh, is the shortbread gone? Ok. I always chose the cake instead anyway.
 

221129

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Maybe unlikely when you travel, but not for me, as long as it is a Bournemouth service as opposed to one terminating short at Southampton Ctrl. A: Cream Teas are on the all day menu, B: I've had many a breakfast muffin on the evening trains.

Oh, is the shortbread gone? Ok. I always chose the cake instead anyway.

Leaving Manchester at 1907 and knowing the unit's diagram I would be very surprised if there is much short life stock left at that time. It is likely to have already have been wasted by that point.
 

Starmill

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What 222119 means is, and I notice he did not spell this out for you, there is no First Class Host on your service. As such you quite unlikely to receive much in the way of catering owing to the need for the RSM to spend their time serving people in Standard, and the fact that they don't seem to prepare the full menu anyway. You might get a few drinks and should get some snacks but definitely don't count on it being anything like a meal.

I personally have been in the situation before where I asked the RSM and they said they were unable to offer anything at all to First Class passengers at all, only the retail items were available if we wanted to pay for them.
 
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