PHOTO: AmaWaterways and MSC Cruises are raising money for charities. Pictured is the AmaCerto in Bratislava. (courtesy AmaWaterways)

Two cruise lines — AmaWaterways and MSC Cruises — are raising money for charities. River cruise company AmaWaterways has designed three cruises to raise money for breast cancer research while MSC Cruises has donated more than $3.7 million to UNICEF in Brazil.

AmaWaterways will donate $500 for every stateroom sold on three European river cruises in 2014 and 2015 to support breast cancer awareness, prevention, research and treatment. The fund-raising cruises are the Oct. 30, 2014, and Oct. 26, 2015, departures of “The Enchanting Rhine” aboard the AmaCello and AmaCerto, respectively, and the Oct. 28, 2015, departure of “Melodies of the Danube” aboard the AmaSonata.

“This is the first time AmaWaterways has earmarked specific sailings as charitable fund-raisers to support this very worthy cause,” said Kristin Karst, AmaWaterways’ executive vice president and co-owner. “The idea for these cruises came from recent conversations with travel agents. They made it happen! We love to encourage that sort of creative input from our travel partners.”

Meanwhile, MSC Cruises began collaborating with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 2009 and the line’s “Get on Board for Children” initiative raised more than $3.7 million for UNICEF to combat poverty in 126 communities in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil.

On Jan. 1, MSC Cruises and UNICEF started a new program to deliver ready-to-use therapeutic foods — such as Plumpy’Nut, a peanut-based paste for the treatment of severe malnutrition — in developing countries and places in crisis.

“Around three sachets a day for four to six weeks can put a child out of harm’s way, and with the generosity of our onboard guests, we will do our best to save and improve as many lives as possible,” says Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises.

“We are impressed that MSC passengers donate over a dollar to UNICEF at check-out,” said Elsbeth Müller, executive director of UNICEF Switzerland. “Their donation helps ensure that children grow up healthily and have a promising future.”

A $1.50 donation buys three meals of the therapeutic food. A $56 donation is said to buy a full treatment that can save a child’s life in four to six weeks.

Follow me on Twitter @cruiseapalooza.