Frequently Asked Questions

• Any person while in a railroad car, in a station, while boarding or disembarking MUST wear a mask (face shields are not acceptable)
• Masks may be removed BRIEFLY while eating or drinking,
  • (defined in regulations as “masks must be worn between bites and sips”)
  • (“The CDC has stated that brief periods of close contact without a mask should not exceed 15 minutes.”)

***COVID-19***OPERATING PLAN***

For our 2021 Reopening, the Murder Mystery Dinner Train will implement the following enhancements to our existing procedures to do its part to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

SEATING

• Foregoing our long-time tradition of seating couples together at tables of 4; couples will be seated at their own table for 2 each facing inward toward the middle of each dining section (theater style).
• Parties of 3 or more will be grouped together at 4-top tables.

• The Unisex restroom inside the passenger station will remain open when the passenger station/gift shop is open.

• The dining cars and passenger station will be sanitized before each evening’s trip.
• Unisex and single-sex restrooms will be cleaned and sanitized on a scheduled basis.
• Doorknobs, railings, and handles will be cleaned and sanitized on a scheduled basis.
• Enhanced cleaning procedures will be conducted after each trip and once the guests have departed.
• New clean pens will be distributed to all guests to use for the murder mystery clue sheet.  Guests may of course use their own pens.
• We will continue the use of our souvenir “take-home” one-time use menus for each party.
• Guests are ENCOURAGED to use credit cards instead of cash for payment in the passenger station and on the train for all purchases and gratuity.

• ALL staff, including our actors, will be given a daily health screening.
• ALL reservation staff will wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (“PPE”).
• ALL food service staff will wear appropriate PPE.
• ALL guests will be asked to wear a face mask when they are not eating or drinking.
• Guests are asked to monitor their symptoms leading up to their arrival on the train. If you or anyone in your party are ill or have been showing symptoms two weeks before you plan to board, please contact our reservations team so that we may reschedule you trip. Guests may cancel their reservation up to as late as 30 hours before their trip (around noon the day before they plan to board) so that we can accommodate our seating arrangements for other passengers.

• Due to limited kitchen space and carrying capacity, Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Special Request Allergen Free Options are NOT available. Passengers are not permitted to bring their own food or beverages aboard the train.
• We ask guests to dress as they would for any other fine dining restaurant and theater performance. Our dining cars are fully air-conditioned and we recommend you bring a light jacket or sweater.
• We ask that you arrive at the Station by 5:45 PM on Wednesday through Saturday, and 4:45 PM on Sundays.

Our COVID-19 procedures are based on appropriate guidance for our unique venue and experience to keep our passengers and staff safe. We will continue to monitor the situation and will communicate further information as appropriate.

• Foregoing our long-time tradition of seating couples together at tables of 4; couples will be seated at their own table for 2 each facing inward toward the middle of each dining section (theater style).
• Parties of 3 or more will be grouped together at 4-top tables.

• milk
• peanuts
• tree nuts/seeds
• fish
• shellfish
• wheat
• soy
• eggs

• The motion of the train and the unnatural, high-pitched metallic sounds that the train makes as it goes over joints in the tracks may make some animals very uncomfortable.
• The train is narrow, and a walkway runs through it. Animals that are not accustomed to heavy and frequent foot traffic may be very uncomfortable. Service animals must not sit or lay down in a walkway as this presents a hazard to other guests and the animal. The service animal will not be permitted to sit on any of the seats but will be required to sit under the passenger’s seat or at his or her feet.
• Murder Mystery Dinner Train staff have been directed not to touch the service animal, but other customers may not understand the role of a service animal and may want to touch the service animal.
• Any food or water which the animal requires, and appropriate containers for serving food and water to the animal, should be provided by the owner. Sanitary toilet arrangements must also be made by the owner of the animal, and, in the interest of the health and safety of our guests, the staff of the train will not handle or dispose of animal droppings or urine for the owner.  Remember that our train trips are three and one-half hours or more in duration when deciding to bring a service animal onboard.
• Should the service animal make a mess, urinate, defecate, or vomit onboard the train, the owner will be subject to a cleaning fee of $300.00.
• Should the service animal damage or destroy property of the railroad, or of other passengers, the owner of the animal is fully liable and will bear the sole cost and expense of replacement.

Seminole Gulf Railway asks for and collects a nominal amount of information from the person who books a reservation on one of its dinner/excursion trains.  This information such as name, address, telephone number, and email address is used to facilitate further contact with the individual about the upcoming reservation and for follow-up communication, including on-going marketing, directly or through third-party marketing firms, of future events and trains on Seminole Gulf Railway.  At no time does Seminole Gulf Railway sell its customer information.  All customer information is maintained on a secure, proprietary database.  Any customer wishing to have their information removed, or to opt-out of ongoing marketing communications, should notify Seminole Gulf Railway at [email protected]

At no time does Seminole Gulf Railway keep physically or store electronically its customers' credit card information.  Any credit card information collected for the purposes of conducting the approved by the customer transaction is immediately destroyed.  Any online transactions made directly by the customer are processed immediately by our secure online processor, Authorize.net.  Only the record of the transaction, and not the full credit card data is transmitted to Seminole Gulf Railway.

• The passenger cars in use were constructed before disability accessibility regulations came into existence. Vestibules, stairs, step-boxes, seating, and especially doorways, passageways, aisles, and onboard restrooms may not accommodate all passengers in all dining cars. 
• Seating for passengers with wheelchairs are available on a first-come-first-serve basis.  Due to the nature of the vintage railcars used on the dinner train, we have only one (1) dining car that can accommodate a standard size wheelchair.  That one dining car has one (1) wheelchair-accessible restroom. 
• Although one ramp is available at the Fort Myers Colonial Station, some passengers may have to ascend/descend up to ten (10) steps in order to ride the Murder Mystery Dinner Train.  Some special events, such as the Christmas Rail-Boat Trips will require ALL passengers to be able to ascend/descend not only the stairs on the train, but also those of the buses used to transport passengers to the boats, and possibly the at the boats themselves. Seminole Gulf Railway will provide step boxes and trained employees to assist with boarding/deboarding. However, passengers assume all liability and risk associated with boarding/deboarding the train, buses, boats, or other modes. Do not purchase tickets for these trips if you are unable to safely climb stairs or walk extended distances up to five hundred (500) ft (walkers may be used).