Royal Intel Insight

Did free play drop in September 2026?

Free play is stable across the shared tiers in 2609D. There are no tier-by-tier changes versus August 2026 in the tiers that overlap month to month. The month-over-month increase in average free play is a mix shift, not a raise: the certificate simply has a different distribution of sailings across tiers. That distinction matters. Readers should not treat the +$20.9 per sailing average as a broad improvement in offer value. Per-tier free play is unchanged from prior month; the mix of sailings shifted toward higher tiers, which lifted the weighted average. The ladder is straightforward this month: - 1,500 points: $100 FreePlay on the best cruise shown - 2,000 points: $150 FreePlay on the best cruise shown - 3,000 points: $250 FreePlay on the best cruise shown - 4,000 points: $400 FreePlay on the best cruise shown - 6,500 points: $500 FreePlay on the best cruise shown - 9,000 points: $750 FreePlay on the best cruise shown - 15,000 points: $1,000 FreePlay on the best cruise shown - 25,000 points: $1,500 FreePlay on the best cruise shown - 40,000 points: $2,500 FreePlay on the best cruise shown - 70,000 points: $5,000 Freeplay on the best cruise shown The 800 and 1,200 tiers do not show free play in the historical comparison, so they are not part of the month-over-month free-play read. The mix is still concentrated in the lower and middle tiers, but the free-play-bearing tiers are weighted more heavily toward the upper end than last month. That is the main reason the weighted average moved up. At the low end, 1,500 and 2,000 points remain the first tiers where free play appears, and both are still tied to short Caribbean, Mexico, and Asia sailings. The 3,000 and 4,000 tiers are where balcony inventory starts to matter more, especially on Spectrum of the Seas and Oasis-class sailings. By 6,500 and 9,000 points, the free-play amounts are large enough to matter, but the best-value sailings are still often defined by itinerary quality rather than the cash component alone. The upper tiers are where free play becomes a meaningful part of the value stack. At 15,000 points, the best cruise is a 7-night Greece, Egypt & Cyprus sailing on Rhapsody of the Seas with $1,000 FreePlay. At 25,000 points, the best cruise is a 10-night Greece, Italy & Croatia sailing on Mariner of the Seas with $1,500 FreePlay. At 40,000 points, the best cruise reaches $2,500 FreePlay on a 7-night Mediterranean sailing. At 70,000 points, the top offer reaches $5,000 Freeplay on a 10-night Greece, Italy & Croatia sailing. The free-play ladder did not improve in a way that changes tier selection. The practical read is the same as last month: choose the tier based on itinerary and cabin first, then use free play as a secondary tie-breaker. The only month-over-month change is that the certificate’s sailing mix moved upward, which makes the average look better without changing the underlying tier values.