Royal Intel Insight

Did free play drop in May 2026?

Release 2605C does not change the per-tier free play amounts versus April 2026. The month looks different on the surface because the sailing mix shifted across tiers, and the release added 826 sailings overall. That is the only reason the weighted average moved. The current release has 11,022 sailings, up from 10,196 last month. The added volume is not evenly distributed. Lower and mid tiers gained more sailings, while some of the highest tiers lost a bit of count. That changes the weighted average free play per sailing, but it does not change what any shared tier actually receives. The current mix still starts at 600 points for two-guest offers. From there, the free play ladder is straightforward: - 1500 points: $50 - 2000 points: $100 - 3000 points: $150 - 4000 points: $300 - 6500 points: $500 - 9000 points: $750 - 15000 points: $1,000 - 25000 points: $1,500 - 40000 points: $2,500 The 1200 and 800 tiers remain free-play-light or free-play-free in the historical comparison, so they are not part of the month-over-month free play story. The important point is that the free play ladder itself is steady. What changes is how often each tier appears. This month has more sailings in the 1500 through 9000 range than April, which makes the weighted average look softer even though the tier amounts are the same. That means readers should not read 2605C as a cut. It is a mix shift. If your tier is unchanged, your free play is unchanged. For casino cruisers, the useful question is not whether free play was raised or lowered overall. It is whether the sailing mix moved toward the tiers you actually play. In 2605C, the answer is yes: the release leans more heavily into the middle of the ladder, with enough Alaska and Europe inventory to keep the higher-value tiers relevant. The strongest free-play bands remain the same ones they were last month. The difference is that there are more sailings in the middle of the certificate, so the release feels broader without changing the underlying tier economics.