PHOTO: River cruises that visit Christmas markets are very popular for families with children, including one in Nuremberg, Germany.

If your clients want to take their kids on the industry’s hottest vacation product — a river cruise — do your research and make careful recommendations. While river cruising generally is not a kid-friendly product, there are some departures tailored to parents who want to bring along their children.

Most notably, Tauck Bridges and Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection offer river cruise trips in Europe aimed specifically at families with kids.

“Our departures are designed just for families,” says Katherine Bonner, vice president-marketing for Tauck cruising and Bridges. “Everything is designed for families, from the fact that we handpick the Tauck directors who like to work with children to the meals we have chosen, which include more kid-friendly options. We plan activities such as bike trips and contract with a local bike company to make sure that we have children’s bikes and helmets. We contract with some different local guides who are more used to working with children. The whole experience really is crafted with kids in mind.”

The beauty of this kind of family trip is that Tauck takes care of all the details, so adults can focus on bonding with their children rather than worrying about finding a kid-friendly restaurant, lugging baggage or driving a rental car in unfamiliar destinations. Virtually everything is included in the upfront price, so there are few reasons to open wallets. Plus, travelers unpack only once.

“If you’re the mom, you know you’re on the hook for everyone’s happiness,” Bonner says. “With this, Tauck is on the hook, and that’s a very freeing experience for most family members. You also have the benefit of having other kids on the trip.”

For 2015, Tauck Bridges is offering three departures of the eight-day Blue Danube: Family Riverboat Adventure priced from $3,990 per person on the ms Swiss Jewel or ms Savor Departure dates are June 20, July 4 and Aug. 7, 2015. This cruise sails from Budapest, Hungary, to Slovakia, Austria and Germany, and includes riding a giant Ferris wheel in a Vienna amusement park, seeing “The Sound of Music” sites in Salzburg, and learning how to make marzipan in Passau, Germany.

The eight-day “Castles on the Rhine: Family Riverboat Adventure” is scheduled for two departures in 2015 - June 15 and July 23 — and also is priced from $3,990. It sails between Basel and Amsterdam aboard the ms Inspire, visiting Switzerland, France, Germany and The Netherlands. This trip includes a ride aboard the world’s steepest cogwheel train in the Swiss Alps, an exclusive dinner at a 1,000-year-old castle, French language lessons, and more.

The 10-day Bon Voyage! France Family River Cruise, priced from $4,990, includes two nights in Paris and a seven-night Rhône River cruise on the ms Swiss Emerald. Excursions include a scavenger hunt at the Louvre, a picnic lunch in the Tuileries Gardens and a tour of Provence.

Tauck recommends these river cruises for children ages 8 and up and discourages them for toddlers under 3. “Though children 3 years of age and older are welcome on our journeys, our experience tells us that children 8 and older will get the most out of a Tauck Bridges trip,” the company says in its very detailed overview of family travel.

“We ask that you use good judgment if considering bringing a young child or children on a Tauck journey,” the company says. “Regardless of destination, our journeys are not appropriate for infants or children under 3 years of age. Many of our itineraries do not cater to young children’s interests, patience or stamina, and therefore aren’t really suited to children of too young an age. Young children’s behavior can be unpredictable, and with consideration for all fellow travelers wanting to enjoy their vacation to its fullest, it is important to know and understand that Tauck has the right to ask any tour member who is disruptive to a group to leave the tour whether they are 6 or 66 years of age.

PHOTO: Tauck Bridges’ family river cruises offer cycling along the rivers.

“Family travel is important to us. The bond between children and adults as they experience the world together makes for special memories that last lifetimes. It is for that reason we created Tauck Bridges — journeys for the whole family to enjoy together. Each of these kid-friendly family-oriented journeys has a minimum recommended age rating to encourage comfort and enjoyment for all our guests. Tauck Bridges itineraries are not recommended for children under 3 years of age. All children on Tauck journeys must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.”

It would be helpful for a travel agent to read the entire section on family travel. It’s under a tab called “Family Travel: Tauck Bridges” in the FAQ section of the website. Visit www.tauck.com/faq.aspx.

Children under 18 must be booked in a cabin with at least one adult.

Tauck has some triple and quadruple accommodations that are adjacent, but not connecting. These staterooms feature a queen-size bed and a full-size pull-out couch.

Uniworld schedules special multigenerational, family-friendly itineraries during school vacations. They feature special pricing with half-price fares for kids and teens between the ages of 4 and 18 when traveling with an adult. Fares include lectures and demonstrations onboard, hosted shore excursions, complimentary use of bicycles, all gratuities onboard and onshore and transfers.

On its family river cruises, a chaperone participates in daily children’s activities, and the shore excursions are designed for the whole family. Children can select from a kid-friendly menu and get complimentary soft drinks during lunch and dinner. (The children’s menu might include Caesar salad, pizza, cheeseburger with french fries, chicken wings, breaded chicken schnitzel with peas, spaghetti and breaded fish fillet. For dessert? Perhaps a freshly prepared crêpe with strawberry jam and vanilla sauce, ice cream and fresh fruit salad.)

Young people can also take a ship tour with the captain or the hotel manager. When not touring Europe, kids of any age can also play in a room stocked with a PlayStation 2 and Wii.

Uniworld’s family-friendly river cruises operate on several itineraries. The eight-day Classic Christmas Markets between Frankfurt and Nuremberg will depart on Dec. 14, 2014, as well as Dec. 13, 2015, on the 130-passenger River Queen. Fares for this year’s departure start at $2,799.

The eight-day Castles along the Rhine from Basel to Amsterdam will depart on July 8 and July 15, 2015, on the 132-guest River Empress, priced from $3,799 cruise-only.

And the eight-day Paris & Normandy cruise roundtrip from Paris will set off on July 5 and Aug. 2, 2015, on the 118-passenger River Baroness, priced from $3,899.

For its other cruises, Uniworld notes that passengers under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult who is 21 years or older. “Uniworld’s long-term experience is that most young children (especially those under 8 years of age) do not enjoy or appreciate the river cruise experience,” the company says on its website. “There are no special arrangements, activities, or accommodations for children on Uniworld river cruises and tour programs. An exception to this is our Multigenerational Family-Friendly Cruise Program, which is offered on select itineraries during the summer months. … Adults accompanying children are responsible for their behavior during the trip.”

As for other river cruise companies, they also say that their trips are not appropriate for younger kids and toddlers.

“In our many years of cruising experience, we have found that children under the age of 8 typically are too young to fully enjoy a cruise vacation,” Avalon Waterways states on its website. “Because of this and for the safety and enjoyment of all passengers, we do not accept children under 8 years of age. In addition, please note that there are no special arrangements or activities for children on our ships.”

AmaWaterways’ policy also states that guests under the age of 18 must be booked in a cabin with an adult and must be supervised at all times. Children under 11 can share a cabin with two adults but must share the bed with the adults as no additional bed will be provided. The company also notes that most of its cabins and suites have French or full balconies that might not be safe for little ones left unsupervised.

“Children under the age of 4 are not allowed, and children 4-7 years old are not recommended,” AmaWaterways says. “For Africa, due to safety precautions, there is a minimum age limit of 12 years old, unless otherwise agreed upon by AmaWaterways. AmaWaterways does not provide child-specific programs or child-minding facilities.”

That said, the line welcomes families with older children on some river cruises, in particular the Christmas Markets cruises. The staff sets up a kids table in the dining room, and a jolly old man in a red suit makes a surprise appearance.

Viking River Cruises also does not maintain facilities or services for children. Those under 18 must be accompanied and share a cabin with a parent, legal guardian or other responsible adult over the age of 21.

Scenic Cruises states on its website that “children under 12 years old are ineligible to participate in our tours, except for applicable Christmas tours and cruises and, then, only if accepted by Scenic in its sole discretion. Due to the availability of alcohol on many of our vacation packages, children and other persons under 21 years of age must be accompanied by a person over the age of 21 and must share their accommodation with that adult.”