Royal Intel Insight

Did free play drop in November 2026?

Release 2611A shows a clear step-up in free play as points rise, with the biggest gains concentrated in the premium middle of the ladder. The 400-point tier does not carry free play. The first tier with a visible bonus is 1,500 points at $100 FreePlay, followed by 2,000 points at $200, 3,000 points at $300, and 4,000 points at $500. From there, the increases become more pronounced. The 6,500-point tier moves to $750 FreePlay, 9,000 points to $1,000, 15,000 points to $1,500, 25,000 points to $2,000, 40,000 points to $3,000, and 70,000 points to $5,000. That is a clean ladder, with no visible compression in the upper tiers. Per-tier free play is up in several shared tiers versus October 2026. The 4,000-point tier increased by $100 per sailing, the 6,500-point tier increased by $250 per sailing, the 9,000-point tier increased by $250 per sailing, the 15,000-point tier increased by $500 per sailing, the 25,000-point tier increased by $500 per sailing, and the 40,000-point tier increased by $500 per sailing. The 1,500-point tier was unchanged at $100 per sailing, and the 70,000-point tier was unchanged at $5,000 per sailing. The release-level average free play is $1,296, up $62 from the prior month. That average is useful, but it does not tell the whole story on its own. The bigger change is that more of the certificate now sits in higher-paying tiers, so the weighted average rises even where some individual tiers are unchanged. The mix is still heavily concentrated in Caribbean sailings, which makes the free play ladder more relevant than any single headline number. Caribbean accounts for 10,195 sailings, far ahead of Mexico at 1,866 and Mediterranean at 987. The most common cabin types are Junior Suite, Balcony - GTY, Grand Suite, Balcony, and Interior - GTY, so the free play structure is being applied across a broad range of cabin quality. At the lower end, the 400-point tier is mostly Interior - GTY and is aimed at access rather than bonus value. The 800-point tier starts to introduce Balcony - GTY, but free play is still absent there. The first meaningful bonus threshold is 1,500 points, and the bonus ladder becomes more useful once you reach 4,000 points and above. This month’s free play structure is stronger than last month’s, especially from 4,000 points upward. The lower tiers are still mostly about getting into the certificate, while the middle and upper bands now carry the clearest bonus progression. If you are comparing tiers on value, focus on the step-ups at 4,000, 6,500, 9,000, and 15,000 points rather than the average alone.