You want to see Alaska? Then you will want to take a cruise, especially if you have only seven days of vacation. If you have 10 days or longer, you can take a cruise and add a rail or bus trip to Denali National Park and the Yukon as part of the cruise package.

The choice of Alaskan cruises are many. Eight cruise lines will have ships in Alaska this year: Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, Silversea and Royal Caribbean.

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This is the time to splurge on a balcony so you can drink a cup of tea while admiring soaring mountains, rugged coastlines, glistening glaciers and passing whales and bald eagles.

"It would be nearly impossible for travelers to sample as many Alaskan destinations on a land tour as they can on a cruise," says Terry Dale, president of the Cruise Lines International Association.

Most lines offer a variety of cruise-land packages that take passengers deep into Alaska's interior by train and bus and include stays at lodges in Denali, hiking, sightseeing and "flightseeing" across the Juneau Ice Field by helicopter.

The 49th state has really captured the imagination of cruisers this year.

"The cruise lines report that Alaska bookings are coming in at a very brisk pace, faster even than early 2000 levels," Dale says. "To get the cabin of your choice on the vessel of your choice, travelers should book as soon as possible."

Holland America Line, a specialist in Alaska since 1947, will have eight ships, one more than last year in Alaska.

Itineraries, options

Holland America's Veendam, Statendam and Ryndam ships will sail from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Seward; the Volendam and Zuiderdam will sail round trip from Vancouver; and the Oosterdam, Westerdam and the Zaandam will sail round trip from Seattle. The cruise line will offer a choice of three cruise itineraries and 29 CruiseTour vacation packages and, for the first time, will offer a tour into the Yukon Territory. Alaska cruises will run May through September.

Holland America's Alaska cruises start at $849 per person double for an interior cabin on Glacier Bay Inside Passage and Alaska Explorer seven-day cruises.

Princess Cruises will offer its most comprehensive Alaska program ever with seven ships on three popular routes: seven-day Gulf of Alaska, seven-day Inside Passage and 10-day Inside Passage itineraries. Summer cruises start at $949 per person double.

Carnival, the king of the Caribbean, has moved the Carnival Spirit to Alaska, offering 16 seven-day Glacier Route and three Glacier Bay voyages. Glacier Route cruises depart either southbound from Whittier or northbound from Vancouver. Cruises in both directions feature Prince William Sound, College Fjord, Lynn Canal, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Sitka and the Inside Passage. The ship's Glacier Bay cruises depart round trip from Vancouver and offer full days cruising Glacier Bay National Park and the Inside Passage, as well as visits to Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. Seven-night cruises start at $799 per person double for an interior cabin.

Celebrity Cruises' Infinity gives cruisers the chance to sail round trip from San Francisco on 10- and 12-night Ultimate Alaska itineraries and seven-night Inside Passage cruises round trip from Vancouver. The Mercury will sail on seven-night Inside Passage itineraries round trip from Seattle. And the Summit will offer seven-night voyages between Vancouver and Seward and seven-night itineraries round trip from Vancouver. A two-week cruise from Vancouver to Los Angeles will include the Inside Passage, Ketchikan, Skagway, Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, Sitka, Victoria, Seattle, San Francisco and Catalina Island. Fares start at $1,010 per person double for a seven-night cruise.

Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Wind, Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Star will operate seven-day Glacier Bay sailings round trip from Seattle. All cruises are "freestyle," with a more relaxed dress code and no assigned seating. Fares start at $1,103 per person double for an interior cabin on the Norwegian Sun.

The luxury line Radisson Seven Seas Cruises will operate its Seven Seas Mariner on seven-night voyages from Vancouver to Anchorage from May through September with calls at Sitka, Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. The ship will sail from Anchorage to Tokyo on a 14-night cruise Sept. 20. Fares start at $3,496 per person double.

Royal Caribbean will have three ships in Alaska: Radiance of the Seas, Vision of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas this summer. Seven-night cruises start at $759.

Silversea Cruises' elegant Silver Shadow will be in Alaska this summer. Rates start at $4,883 for a nine-day cruise.

For more information on Alaska cruises, contact a travel agent, or visit www.cruising.org.

Cheryl Blackerby writes for The Palm Beach [Fla.] Post.