I recently spent a night on one of the most luxurious trains in the world. And I didn't get to take a shower.
For $9,000, I booked the cheapest cabin on the overnight train comprised of historic Orient Express carriages known as the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.
The journey took me from Paris to Venice in about 30 hours. I stayed in a private historic cabin accommodation, which comes with a couch that folds out into a bed, another bunk that pulls down from above, and a vanity with a wash basin.
The company's website lists the amenities in each accommodation, so I knew going into my trip that I wouldn't have a shower in my cabin while onboard the train.
But I didn't know that I wouldn't have access to one at all. While I read on the website that there was a shared bathroom with a toilet at the end of each sleeping car, it didn't specify that there weren't showers there, either.
Given the price of my cabin, this took me by surprise.
For my own shower on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train, I would have had to pay $13,000 for one night.
For a starting rate of $6,500 per person — or $13,000 per room if you're traveling solo like I was, according to the company's website — passengers can book a cabin with a full bathroom with a rainfall shower.
During my trip, a cabin steward gave me a tour of a suite that came with one, and while the bathroom's marble accents felt luxurious, I couldn't believe it cost $4,000 more.
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express didn't respond to Business Insider's request for comment about why some cabins and cars don't include showers.
However, I imagine it has to do with the train car's historic roots. According to a media fact sheet obtained by BI, the cabins are from the 1920s, and the original models were preserved, including mine.
Since my train journey was only one night, I wasn't too bothered by the lack of shower.
But in the morning, I certainly felt dirtier than usual, which made me less comfortable for the remainder of my trip.
At the same time, I was grateful to at least have a vanity and sink in my cabin so I could wash my face and brush my teeth from the comfort of my room.
Traveling in a historic luxury train was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But I hope that next time I pay almost $10,000 for one night there's a hot shower in it for me.
