When booking this excursion as a cruise ship passenger, absolutely book through the white pass website and NOT through the cruise line. First, booking through their website will save you a bit of money. Second, those who book through their website are in separate cars than those who booked with the cruise line. Once you are in the cars, you cannot move to another car. Therefore we saw the train cars that came from the cruise ship docks and they were full to the brim. Our car had 2 other parties in it so we basically had the car to ourselves and were able to move around to the different sides to see the views. I will say that when you book through the cruise line you get to board your train right at the dock. Since we booked independently, we did have to walk into town to check in at the actual train depot. The walk was about 10-15 minutes but it wasn’t bad at all. In the train depot they have a coffee shop, a gift shop, and restrooms. The woman who checked us in at the ticket counter was very friendly and explained everything clearly. We boarded 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time so be sure to get there early. The best views are on the left side going up and on the right side going down. The seats do have the ability to switch direction if needed. We flipped them to have more room by our feet. Since our trip was just the summit and back down, we actually did a loop at the top so the train kept going the same direction, so there was no need to flip the seat direction. They have clear narration throughout the trip on history, landmarks, and stories. The narration only plays inside though and not on the outside balcony. Each car has a front and back outside balcony that you are able to stand on to get better views or some fresh air. Since our car had few people it was easy to pop out and pop back in to take photos of landmarks or the train coming in or out of the tunnel. I did bring a microfiber rag/towel with because previous reviews mentioned that if the weather gets bad the windows will fog up and you can’t see out. However our day was clear and slightly overcast so there was no need. The cars also each have a heater and a bathroom on them. You do get a booklet on your seat that shows you the map, as well as some more history too. Overall it is a very cool scenic train ride up and down the mountains. If you can, try and get the caboose car, then when you stand out the back there will be no other cars to obstruct your view. However since we booked independently, our choice of cars was towards the front. We chose the very first car behind the engine and it worked out because your field of vision was only blocked a tiny bit by the engine and you could turn back and watch the entire train follow you. At the end the narrators/tour guides come through the cars and basically that is the time to tip them if you so choose. Overall everyone in our party really enjoyed this excursion. You have to really be in to just looking out at the scenery and taking in the beauty. I would recommend this as the main thing to do in Skagway.