Royal Intel Insight

Did free play drop in March 2026?

Free play in 2603C is concentrated at the top, and the step-downs are easy to read. The release average is $929, down $41.6 from February. That decline is modest at the certificate level, but the tier-by-tier changes are more meaningful because they show where Royal Caribbean pulled value back. The top end still carries the most free play. The 40,000-point tier averages $2,500, unchanged from February. The 25,000-point tier averages $1,500, down $500. The 15,000-point tier averages $1,000, also down $500. From there the ladder compresses quickly: 9,000 points averages $750, 6,500 points averages $500, 4,000 points averages $300, 3,000 points averages $150, 2,000 points averages $100, and 1,500 points averages $50. Below 1,500 points, the release stops showing free play in the analytics. The 1,200, 800, 600, and 400 tiers are still present, but they are fare-focused rather than bonus-led. That makes the lower tiers more about access than value. The offer mix is still dominated by cruise fare for two guests, especially in the higher tiers. That is the main structure of the release: free play is layered on top of fare offers rather than replacing them. The strongest examples are the 25,000-point and 40,000-point tiers, where the offers remain cruise fare for two guests and the bonus is large enough to matter in the total package. At 15,000 points, the mix is still mostly two-guest fare, but the cabin mix shifts toward Junior Suites. At 9,000 points, the release remains heavily two-guest fare with a mix of Balcony and Junior Suite cabins. At 6,500 points, the same pattern holds, with Balcony leading and Junior Suite still present. The middle tiers are more mixed. At 4,000 points, the best offers are balcony sailings for two guests, with Oceanview still appearing. At 3,000 points, the mix narrows to Oceanview and Balcony. At 2,000 points, the tier is still broad enough to include Oceanview, Interior, and Balcony, but the free play is only $100 on average. At 1,500 points, the average free play is just $50, and the cabin mix is still mostly Interior and Oceanview with some Balcony. The biggest free play cut landed at 25,000 points, where average free play fell from $2,000 to $1,500. That is the largest drop in the release. The next biggest cuts were at 15,000 points, down from $1,500 to $1,000, and at 9,000 and 6,500 points, each down $250. The practical effect is that the release still rewards higher play, but the premium tiers are less generous than last month. The lower tiers did not gain enough free play to offset the top-end cuts, so the overall average moved down. If you are shopping for bonus value alone, the top tiers still win. If you are shopping for usable cruise options with some bonus attached, the 4,000 to 9,000 range is the most balanced part of the certificate. That is where the release still offers balcony access, decent ship variety, and enough free play to matter without requiring the highest point levels.