Bravo's reality series Below Deck follows the captain and crew of charter mega yachts
in some of the most beautiful locations on the planet.
But it's not all fun in the sun for the worker bees who facilitate these dream vacations
for the one percent.
This is the untold truth of Below Deck.
"I'm stuck below deck, with no windows, no air...I'm trippin"
Reality TV makeover
There's no doubt that the yachts on Below Deck are impressive, but the vessels and the
crew may not be exactly what they seem.
In 2013, co-executive producer Rebecca Taylor who pitched the concept after "working on
yachts" in college told The Triton that real-life boats were renamed for the series.
Season 3's Mustang Sally was renamed Eros.
And Season 1's Cuor di Leone was dubbed Honor.
Most of Cuor di Leone's real crew was re-cast, except for her captain, engineer and first
officer, who each remained on board.
"I'm actually back to do this again.
Surprise bitches"
Taylor told the site,
"It's almost impossible to find a real functioning crew and step on with cameras and say go.
Just because you have the perfect crew doesn't mean you don't have a convicted felon or someone
with anger issues who's going to punch the cameraman.
All that matters to us in TV."
Discount vacay
Looking to book your next luxury vacation?
Below Deck producer Mark Cronin, admitted in a Reddit AMA that the wealthy guests who
hire out the show's luxury charters get a steep discount for appearing on camera.
"Everybody get down here for the...party"
Charters typically last three days, and according to Thought Catalog, that tallies up to around
$150,000 to $200,000.
Cronin says guests get "about 50 percent" off their stay and free airfare, but they're
still expected to tip on the full price.
And they don't make a cent for appearing on the show.
And guests who grace Below Deck's charters aren't vetted by Bravo in advance.
Cronin admitted,
"Whoever's check clears the bank is on the show!"
The Captain's quarters
Below Deck's resident silver fox and author of the memoir, Running Against the Tide: True
Tales from the Stud of the Sea Captain Lee Rosbach told Fox News that almost all yacht
captains have been "propositioned several times in their careers."
But Rosbach revealed his pro strategies, saying,
"Never be alone with a female guest in any situation that isn't public, specifically
avoid their cabins."
Without a doubt, I still have the best damn job in the world."
But sometimes it's an offer you can't refuse…
The old mob and the sea
If you're into picking up mobsters, sugar daddies and famous actors, you might want
to get onboard with yachting.
Chief stew Hannah Ferrier admitted on Watch What Happens Live,
"I had a charter guest from the Russian Mafia once request a little bit more than a bed
turned down."
But that wasn't the first time a wealthy passenger made a pass at one of Below Deck's hard-working
women.
"There's only so many times you can go (laugh) without like wanting to blow your brains out"
Stewardess Brooke Laughton admitted that an attractive A-list actor asked her to get cozy
in the hot tub.
She told The Daily Mail that she declined, because she wanted to remain professional.
"Why would you spill a drink all over yourself.
I think he wants to have sex with me, but he can't"
A Real Housewives crossover?
Thanks to a report from People, we know The Real Housewives of New York were left fearing
for their lives after a traumatic boat ride in Colombia, but that doesn't mean the ladies
don't enjoy a good yacht outing.
"Isn't it amazing how we go on these trips, and we're all like f------ up and weird and
then we end up like somehow bonding?
What's that all about?"
Still, Bravo straight up robbed us of a Below Deck-Housewives crossover episode!
Below Deck's chief stew, Kate Chastain was apparently working on a yacht parked in Sag
Harbor, New York, when Ramona Singer allegedly invited herself on board after a wine-filled
day of filming.
"I'm feeling really great tonight.
And y'know I don't need a man to dance.
I can dance all by myself"
But although that crossover may have escaped us, there's still hope for another Bravo reality
series.
In August 2018, Southern Charm star Patricia Altschul hit up Captain Lee Rosbach on Twitter
about chartering his boat.
Lee agreed, and Chastain says she's "already planning the theme parties."
Swiped to the left
Though there are plenty of perks to being a yachtie, a glamorous dating life apparently
isn't one of them.
"I think there can definitely be some issues with dating on board, but I've got some pep
in my step, so for now, it's all good"
But praise the reality gods for bringing the cast together, because if they didn't hook
up with their fellow crew members, they might not otherwise be able to find a date.
"When it comes to your emotional experiences, I don't want it to come up those stairs."
Outside of the so-called "boatmances" featured on the show, Ferrier told Forbes that it's
easier for male crew members, because girls "don't get scared off."
Men in Europe apparently think reality fame is "trashy," and needless to say, the women
of Below Deck are used being swiped left — literally.
"I would like to leave this charter season with no major regrets"
Ferrier and Chastain spoke about their Tinder and Bumble habits on the latter's podcast,
After Deck with Kate Chastain.
Though they're both avid users of dating apps, Ferrier admitted she's dating against her
"type" while Chastain copped to being a straight-up Catfish — her main photo is of Rachel Zoe
. She confessed,
"I put my first name and then I put photos that aren't me, but they could be!"
Jumping ship
The cast of Below Deck are not immune to getting fired and no one wants to be on the receiving
end of one of Captain Lee Rosbach's disappointed gazes.
When it comes to handing out plane tickets to under-performing staff, Reality Blurred
reported that the captain definitely has some "authority" — even if Bravo helped curate
the crew.
"I'm ready to fire you and Hannah.
For what exactly."
According to Cronin, getting fired or quitting mid-season is pretty common in the industry.
He admitted via Reddit,
"Yachties tend to jump ship if they're not happy.
They are people who don't appreciate being tied down.
Most of them don't even have a proper address on land."
Still, that doesn't mean Below Deck's captains aren't a little bit lenient at times.
Drama makes for good TV, and poorly performing staff make for good drama.
"I'd be surprised if we got through it without a casualty or two...nature of the beast"
Rosbach admitted that Season One's crew got a little more leeway than they deserved, telling
The Triton,
"They pretty much acted like crew I would have fired.
The producers of the show wanted to show the long hours and the stress of yachting, but
most of that was caused by the crew being inept."
Are they qualified to do this?
Bravo may hand-pick the crew, but that certainly doesn't mean they're actors playing a role.
Yet, while some crew members are overwhelmingly qualified, some truly lack experience.
Co-executive producer Rebecca Taylor told The Triton,
"There’s a mix of professional crew and young, transient people.
[…] It’s a really interesting subculture and when you learn about it, you wonder, ‘how
does everybody not do this?'"
But apparently, lying on your resume like stewardess Kasey Cohen did, isn't all that
uncommon.
"I gave my resume to a friend back home who's in yachting, to polish it.
I barely looked at it, honestly"
Regardless, the staff do have to train for safety prior to boarding Below Deck's mega
yacht.
Captain Rosbach told Reality Blurred they take "a two-week course" that includes "basic
first aid" and "firefighting" to get their STCW certification, which is required to work
on a yacht.
Drama fit for reality TV
From Teresa Giudice's iconic attempt at flipping a table on The Real Housewives of New Jersey,
to the various cheating scandals among the cast of Vanderpump Rules, Bravo has a knack
for creating hit reality TV drama.
But on Below Deck, the drama seems to write itself.
"Sorry you're mad...but don't take it out on me.
All of the sudden you're like Oh Malia, this is how you flick a chain, Oh Malia this is
how you do this."
But apparently, the drama we see on Below Deck doesn't hold a candle to what happens
when Bravo packs up and heads home.
Bobby Giancola told Forbes,
"I think if they wanted some real drama on the show, they should film it for seven or
eight weeks.
That’s when everything starts boiling over."
But according to Ferrier, filming those weeks would be, quote: "the worst idea ever."
"Guys where did that all come from?
It came from the sea, darling"