Thanks to Regent and KLT, we have a lovely shipboard credit for our SF to NYC Panama Canal Cruise on the Mariner. The question is: how can we use it? This cruise doesn't have any Regent Choice excursions that we want (there's only one after Cabo San Lucas, and that's 9 1/2 hours long!), and we're perfectly happy with the wines and booze included in the fare. What does that leave - spa treatments?

On our last Regent Cruise, we were too late to book the spa treatments that Joan wanted, and we ended up losing some of our SBC. (Although not much, since we bought some overpriced goods in the stores.)

Any thoughts?

We never have trouble spending ours as I love caviar, so we have it often (but I understand a lot of folks don't care for it)!!

If you are not able to use up all of your SBC, ask about donating the balance to the Crew Welfare Fund.

We have tried to donate the balance to the crew fund too - sometimes they won't let you do it. The alternative was to buy a couple of watches in the gift shop and donate them as prizes for when the crew plays Bingo.

We have also bought some very expensive bottles of wine to take home for special occasions. They are very happy to wrap them up in lots of bubble wrap for you and it makes for wonderful memories when you finally open them.

Thanks, Anna and Cindy. All are good ideas. No need for bubble wrap on the wine, since the cruise ends a taxi ride from our home in NJ.

You can play bingo; have a nice Johnnie Walker Blue; spa treatments (usually very easy to book for port days); personal trainer in gym; some inexpensive jewelry (the expensive stuff is really expensive); or, as recommended before, some wine to take home. One cruise we never left port but had $700 to use up in four days (and shops were closed); Dom Perignon and nice wines were staples at dinner.

I have used my credits so many ways, usually in the spa, because when I board, I learned years ago to get up there and just book right away, as I don't do spa at home. They have a calendar telling you what are port and sea days.

Sometimes at the end, I've spent them on crazy expensive creams from the gift shop from the Esteee Lauder section with products I know but wouldn't buy.

At the end, wine at dinners (I'm happy with pouring wines) and small gifts. I never leave a penny behind! Never knew I had a choice to contribute to crew welfare fund, usually do that by just getting a cash out charged to my account. Have asked before and was told not with sbc's. I supposed it was where they came from, and whether transferable to cash.

I don't like 9.5 hour tours anymore paid or fee, but there was a day when I'd gladly take them on.

Right now I am at Disney World with my son, DIL and grands, we just sat and talked for hours. I would LOVE a credit for a massage, they are running me ragged!