An Alaska cruise tour is simply the best way to experience Alaska. From the Inside Passage in the south to Denali and Fairbanks in the north, you can see it all on an Alaskan cruise tour.

Several of the major cruise lines offer these combination land and sea tours, including Princess, Holland America, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean. Of these cruise lines, Princess offers the largest variety of cruise/tour packages. Princess also has the best lodges in the interior of Alaska, including several great resorts in the Denali National Park/Mt. McKinley region.

Indeed, all these cruise lines offer a wide variety of Alaska tours, most of them including a 7 night cruise segment along with 3-7 nights of inland touring.

So of all these Alaska cruisetours, which are the very best? While the sheer volume of truly wonderful offerings makes it hard to choose, I have selected my top three, based on inland itineraries, cruise ports, and feedback from the many passengers with whom I have spoken.

So here are my choices for the top three Alaska cruisetours:

1. Princess Cruise Line's Direct to the Wilderness Cruise Tour

This is simply a great tour, which visits the most popular inland destinations, including Denali National Park (in which you spend two full days) and Fairbanks, where you take a wonderful and scenic riverboat ride. Perhaps the best part of this tour is that it takes you by train directly from the cruise ship to the Denali region, bypassing Anchorage. While Anchorage is a nice small city, I would rather spend the extra night in the Denali region than in a hotel in the city.

2. Celebrity's 14 Night Cruise and Land Tour of Talkeetna, Denali, and Fairbanks

If you are looking for a slightly longer land portion of your trip, this is a wonderful alternative to Princess' Direct to the Wilderness tour. This is the best of Celebrity's cruisetours, and it stops in the beautiful mountain resort of Alyeska before heading on to Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali National Park, and Fairbanks. This tour offers you a look at a wide variety of Alaska's different regions and landscapes, from urban centers to remote outposts. It's a great introduction to this vast and beautiful state.

3. Holland America Line's Cruise Tour Nine: Alyeska, Denali, and Fairbanks

This is be best of Holland America's offerings, and is perfect for anyone seeking a more traditional cruising experience (Holland America prides itself on its adherence to traditional cruising customs). Holland America's ships also tend to be the most intimate of the large cruise lines. The land portion of this tour hits all the most popular spots, including two days in Denali National Park and a stop in Fairbanks as well. The tour begins with a night at the famous Alyeska Prince Hotel, which is considered to be the best hotel in Alaska. This cruisetour is a truly fantastic option for first time visitors to the region.