Newport Dinner Train

The Deal: $99 for a Dinner Train for Two Newport Dinner Train. 

I’m going to file this one under “Not sure I actually saved any money,” but I had a lovely evening.  The deal stated that, for $99, you could get a dinner train for two people, with an ordinary price of $168 (for savings of $69).  The fine print states that this does not include gratuity - fine.  Whenever I use a Groupon, I tip on the full price of the meal.  So, you have to pay $23 on top of the voucher price (this is the amount they tell you when you book the reservation).  I bought this awhile ago, but I usually do my research in advance, and I swear I went to the website to look up the full price before buying the voucher.  After all, it’s only a deal if you’re saving money, right?

So, the Newport Dinner Train has two options - Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, or Romancing the Rails candlelit dinner for two.   The reason that I bought the deal is that I have always, always, always wanted to go to a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater.  The addition of the train was really just a bonus.  The Murder Mystery Tour is currently$68.95 per person, so the total for two people would be $137.90, not the $168 printed on the website.  Again, I thought I looked into this earlier, so I’m not really sure where the discrepancy is.  Late season discount?  Maybe.  The Romancing the Rails Dinner is only $59.95 per person, so that’s $119.90 for two.  That’s only $20 more than the voucher price.
 
The people were very nice.  There was a scheduling mix-up, and they were really great about working with me to find a date that I could still go, even though it was something that was in no way their fault.  They returned phone calls and emails promptly.  They agreed to extend the vouchers through the end of October so we could still use them (that ended up not being necessary, but I appreciate the gesture).

Onto the tour.  We wound up on the romance train, instead of the Murder Mystery.  The ambiance was good.   The ribs were absolutely delicious.  I can’t speak for the chicken, because my boyfriend ate it so fast he forgot to offer me a bite, but that seems like a good sign.  The salad was simple, but something about it was very satisfying.  I can’t quite put my finger on it, but - no need.   It was delicious, and I really enjoyed it.  The green beans and mashed potatoes were also excellent.  Dessert was cheesecake with chocolate sauce.  I’m not a huge fan but, as cheesecake goes, it’s tasty.   As we were eating, we took a train along the beach at sunset - absolutely beautiful views.  We also learned about the history, economy, and geography of Rhode Island (Wait.  It’s really an island???  Seriously???)  We had a lovely evening.  I don’t know that I would recommend driving all the way to Newport to do it (even at a discount), but if you’re going to be in the area, anyway, it’s definitely something to consider for a different experience that is more interesting than just getting dinner somewhere.

Cost:  $99
Estimated Value: $119.90
Estimated Savings:  $20.90.
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,330.82