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May 2026 certificate

6,500 pts

Royal Intel · Monthly certificate report

May 2026 Instant Rewards Certificate

Version C · Published Apr 23, 2026 · 11,022 sailings · 12 levels

Your certificate level

Pick the points on your May 2026 certificate. It only covers sailings at exactly that level.

Europe opens at
1,200 points
Alaska opens at
600 points
9+ nights from
1,200 points
Biggest step up
4,000 to 6,500
Official May 2026 PDF

The PDF lists every sailing at every level.

Your level

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Finding your 6,500-point sailings…

What changed since April 2026

Sailing mix shifted from April 2026

Per-tier free play amounts are unchanged from April 2026. The average-free-play-per-sailing looks different only because the proportion of sailings across tiers moved (826 more sailings overall, with a different spread across tiers). If your tier matters most to you, your free play amount did not change.

Per-tier free play
Unchanged
Sailing count delta
+826 sailings
Previous release
April 2026 Certificate
Average free play by level, May 2026 against April 2026
PointsNowBeforeChange
40,000$2500$2500No change
25,000$1500$1500No change
15,000$1000$1000No change
9,000$750$750No change
6,500$500$500No change
4,000$300$300No change
3,000$150$150No change
2,000$100$100No change
1,500$50$50No change
1,200n/an/aNo change
800n/an/aNo change
600n/an/aNo change

The editor's read

Release 2605C is a broad, mid-length certificate set: 11,022 sailings across 12 tiers, with an average length of 5.5 nights. The mix is heavily Caribbean-led, but this month also keeps meaningful volume in Mexico and Asia, with smaller pockets in Alaska, Europe, and Australia. That matters because the best-value tiers are not all pointing to the same region. Lower tiers lean into short Caribbean and Mexico sailings, while the stronger value bands start to pick up Alaska and, at the top end, a few Europe and Asia options.

The release is also more expansive than April 2026 by 826 sailings. Per-tier free play is unchanged from prior month; the average moved because the sailing mix shifted across tiers.

Read the full editor's read (8 more paragraphs)

The first two-guest tier appears at 600 points. That is a notable floor for this release because it sets the entry point for the most basic casino offer structure. From there, the ladder is fairly regular through 800, 1200, 1500, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6500, 9000, 15000, 25000, and 40000 points.

The practical breakpoint this month is not just where free play starts, but where the itinerary quality changes. The 600 and 800 tiers are mostly short Mexico and Caribbean sailings, with Alaska showing up as a standout rather than the norm. By 1200 points, Alaska becomes much more usable. At 1500 and 2000, the mix broadens, but the strongest scores still cluster around Alaska sailings on Ovation of the Seas.

The strongest tier in the release is 1200 points. Its top sailing is a 7 Night Southbound Alaska & Hubbard Glacier Interior on Ovation of the Seas, departing Seward on 2026-08-28, with Cruise Fare For 2 Guests and $50. That tier also carries the best average top-score profile in the release, which is why it reads as the cleanest value band.

The weakest tier is 600 points, not because it is bad in absolute terms, but because its best options are narrower. It still produces a strong Alaska outlier on Ovation of the Seas, but the rest of the tier is mostly Mexico and Caribbean interiors. The average top score trails the stronger mid-tiers, and the sailing count is tiny at 34.

The 4000 and 6500 tiers are worth comparing directly. Both are still centered on Alaska, but 6500 starts to add more consistent balcony inventory and a broader set of ship classes. The 4000 tier is more concentrated and more dependent on a few high-quality Alaska sailings on Ovation of the Seas. In practical terms, 4000 is the cleaner entry to premium two-guest offers; 6500 is where the itinerary mix starts to feel more flexible.

Europe becomes practical at 1200 points this month. The first clear example is Brilliance of the Seas on a 7 Night Italy & France Oceanview sailing, which lands at 1200 and gives a usable Europe floor rather than a token outlier.

Alaska becomes practical even earlier, at 600 points, because the release includes a 7 Night Southbound Alaska & Hubbard Glacier Interior on Ovation of the Seas at that tier. That said, the Alaska mix becomes materially better at 800 and especially 1200, where the number of viable sailings rises and the itinerary quality improves.

This is a stable release on free play, but not a flat one in offer shape. The value story is driven by sailing mix, not by tier cuts or raises. If you are looking for the best balance of access and itinerary quality, 1200 points is the main breakpoint to watch. If you are chasing premium cabins and larger free play, the upper tiers remain consistent, but the month does not introduce a new step-change above 4000. The main change is breadth: more sailings, same per-tier free play, and a wider spread of regions than April.

Every level in the certificate

Bookable counts leave out sailings that have already departed. Tap a level to make it yours.

Every points level in this certificate, with bookable sailings and what each level opens
PointsBookableFirst opensLinks
21of 34AlaskaSailings
59of 109NoneSailings
238of 441Europe, 9+ nightsSailings
455of 783NoneSailings
700of 1,199NoneSailings
833of 1,354NoneSailings
559of 915NoneSailings
748of 1,229NoneSailings
905of 1,449NoneSailings
848of 1,134NoneSailings
906of 1,217NoneSailings
873of 1,158NoneSailings

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About this report

Built from Royal Caribbean's published May 2026 certificate (Version C). Sailings are ranked by ship, destination, length, room type and how rare the combination is. Royal Intel is independent and not affiliated with Royal Caribbean.

Official May 2026 PDF