Triley, you're always welcome to bring your own soda onboard, you just can't drink it in the cafe car. Which on Acela really isn't a problem, since the cafe doesn't really have great seats. By the way, you should know that Amtrak only serves Pepsi products. No Coke products.
Yeah, that's the one fault I see. xD
I would pack my own stuff and bring it, but I'm going to be getting up for work at 6am, and will have to be taking the train at 5:20pm, after arriving around like 4:45.
Anyway, for a first time Acela (and Amtrak at that) rider, I guess it'd be better to splurge for the First Class. Never been to New York either, so it's looking to be a great weekend, might as well go all or nothing I guess!
Well as I mentioned above, that's where I'd be. I've probably been in an Acela business class car maybe twice in my life and I average at least 10 Acela trips each year.
If you do go first class, depending on where you plan on driving too, you should know that as a first class passenger if you board at South Station you are entitled to use the Club Acela lounge there. And if your returning from NY via Acela in First class, there is also a lounge there that you can use.
These lounges are a nice quiet refuge in the often-bustling train station. They have nice plush chairs, conference rooms, computer terminals, newspapers, TV's, luggage storage, free soft drinks, juices, coffee, tea, and clean safe bathrooms. They also allow you to board your train before the rest of the masses.
In Boston the lounge is actually upstairs above the ticket windows, the door is to the left of the windows and to the right of an information kiosk. There is a small doorbell to the right of the door. Just show your tickets to the attendant at the desk and you're in. They will announce when your train is ready.
The lounge in NY can be found to the far left of the NJ Transit ticket windows as you face them, when standing in the Amtrak concourse which is on the 8th Avenue side of the station. Walk past the West Gate for tracks 7 & 8 on the left side of the escalator and you will see a sign on the corner of the wall. There is a doorbell to the left of two gold doors. Ring the bell and wait for the click to open the door. Note: In NY there is no pre-boarding ahead of the regular passengers, but they usually do announce your train in the lounge before they announce it in the main station. This means if you don’t dilly-dally, you can generally be near the head of the line at the escalator.