''Below Deck'' is an American

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

series that premiered on

Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels *Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 *Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing company ...

on July 1, 2013. The show chronicles the lives of the crew members who work and reside aboard a

superyacht A superyacht or megayacht is a large and luxurious pleasure vessel. There are no official or agreed upon definitions for such yachts, but these terms are regularly used to describe professionally crewed motor or sailing yachts, ranging from to ...

during

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...

season. The series has a number of spin-offs, including ''

Below Deck Mediterranean ''Below Deck Mediterranean'' is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on May 3, 2016. Developed as the first spin-off of ''Below Deck'', it has aired seven seasons. An 8th season has been announced to premiere in 2023. Th ...

'', '' Below Deck Sailing Yacht'', ''

Below Deck Down Under ''Below Deck Down Under'' is an American reality television series that premiered on Peacock on March 17, 2022. The show is the third spin-off of ''Below Deck'', following ''Below Deck Mediterranean'' and '' Below Deck Sailing Yacht''. Announced ...

'', and ''

Below Deck Adventure ''Below Deck Adventure'' is a reality television series hosted by Bravo that was announced on September 7, 2022, and premiered on November 1, 2022. The show is the 4th spin-off of the ''Below Deck franchise'', after ''Below Deck Mediterranean'', ...

''.

Production

Producers booked a five-week

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

charter in

Sint Maarten Sint Maarten () is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean. With a population of 41,486 as of January 2019 on an area of , it encompasses the southern 44% of the divided island of Saint Martin, while the north ...

on the 50-meter (164-foot) yacht ''Cuor di Leone''. The yacht was renamed ''Honor'' for the series, and is captained by Lee Rosbach. The original crew used for the vessel were given the time off, to be replaced by the cast of the series for the duration of filming. Rosbach and his first officer and engineer stayed on board the vessel to ensure everything went as planned. Chief stewardess Adrienne Gang, chef Ben Robinson and stewardess Kat Held had worked on yachts prior to the series. The series was shot over a six-week period in September and October 2011. On August 27, 2013, Bravo announced that the series' first season averaged 1.4 million total viewers per episode, which led the network to renew ''Below Deck'' for a second season. The second season premiered on August 12, 2014, and featured four returning cast members from the previous season: Captain Lee Rosbach, Ben Robinson, Kat Held and Eddie Lucas. New cast additions included Kate Chastain, siblings Kelley and Amy Johnson, Jennice Ontiveros, Andrew Sturby, and Logan Reese. The second season had the crew working on ''Ohana'', a 153-foot yacht, during the charter season in the

British Virgin Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = Brit ...

. The season concluded on November 4, 2014. Bravo renewed ''Below Deck'' for a third season after the second season finale, which was the highest rated episode of the season. In March 2015, Bravo announced a ''Below Deck'' spin-off show entitled ''

'', which would feature a crew heading to "the world's oldest cruising grounds, the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

, for its next superyacht charter season." The third season premiered on August 25, 2015. The show followed crew members living and working in

the Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

on a 161-foot yacht called ''Eros''. A sneak peek of the season was released on July 21, with a half-hour preview special which aired on August 10, 2015. The season featured Lee Rosbach, Kate Chastain, Amy Johnson and Eddie Lucas who all returned from the previous season, along with another five new crew members. In April 2016, the network renewed ''Below Deck'' for a fourth season which was filmed in the

US Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...

. On February 21, 2017, Bravo announced that production filming for season 5 had begun. On July 17, 2017, it was announced that the fifth season would premiere on September 5, 2017, with Lee Rosbach, Kate Chastain, and Nico Scholly returning. The series was filmed in Saint Martin. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2018 and was filmed in

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...

French Polynesia )Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze") , anthem = , song_type = Regional anthem , song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" , image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of Frenc ...

. Lee Rosbach and Kate Chastain returned. In season 6 episode 11, Ashton Pienaar had a close brush with death when he got a tow line wrapped around his leg and was dragged into the water between the yacht ''My Seanna'', which was underway, and the vessel's tender. The show's cameraman Brent Freeburg was able to save Ashton by freeing the tow line. If he had not completely freed the line, the tension between the vessel and the tender would have pulled it tight around Ashton's leg and severed his foot; he would have bled to death in seconds. Rosbach instituted strict procedures to keep this from happening again. In March 2019, Bravo announced a new spin-off, '' Below Deck Sailing Yacht''. The show follows a crew sailing aboard the sailing yacht, ''Parsifal III'', as they cater to charter guests in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

. On December 18, 2019, it was announced that the spin-off series would premiere on February 3, 2020. On August 26, 2019, it was announced that the seventh season would premiere on October 7, 2019. Lee Rosbach, Kate Chastain, and Ashton Pienaar returned as crew members. The series was filmed in

Phuket Phuket (; th, ภูเก็ต, , ms, Bukit or ''Tongkah''; Hokkien:普吉; ) is one of the southern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands of ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

. On September 21, 2020, it was announced that the eighth season would premiere on November 2, 2020. Lee Rosbach and Eddie Lucas returned. The series was filmed in

Antigua Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...

. The season was curtailed after the final two charters were cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. In May 2021,

Peacock Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...

ordered a new spin-off, ''

''. The series followed the upstairs and downstairs of a super-yacht in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The series premiered on March 17, 2022. On August 19, 2021, Bravo announced that a ninth season would premiere on October 25, 2021. The season again featured the yacht ''My Seanna'', and was filmed in

St. Kitts Saint Kitts, officially the Saint Christopher Island, is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Kitts and the neighbouring island of Nevis cons ...

. On May 12, 2022, Bravo announced the renewal of ''Below Deck'' and ''

'', and also announced that a new spin-off, titled ''

'', would premiere in late 2022. On November 3, 2023, it was announced that the eleventh season would premiere on February 5, 2024.

Episodes

Cast

Season 1: ''Honor''

Yacht source: * Lee Rosbach – Captain * Aleks Taldykin – First Officer * Ben Robinson – Chef * Adrienne Gang – Chief Stewardess * C.J. LeBeau –

Second Engineer A second engineer or first assistant engineer is a licensed member of the engineering department on a merchant vessel. This title is used for the person on a ship responsible for supervising the daily maintenance and operation of the engine depar ...

* Kat Held – 2nd Stewardess * Samantha Orme – 3rd Stewardess * Eddie Lucas – First Deckhand * David Bradberry – 2nd Deckhand

Season 2: ''Ohana''

Yacht source: * Lee Rosbach – Captain * Ben Robinson – Chef * Kate Chastain – Chief Stewardess * Kat Held – 2nd Stewardess * Amy Johnson – 3rd Stewardess * Eddie Lucas –

Bosun A boatswain ( , ), bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun, also known as a deck boss, or a qualified member of the deck department, is the most senior rate of the deck department and is responsible for the components of a ship's hull. The boatswain supervi ...

* Kelley Johnson –

* Andrew Sturby – Deckhand (ep 1–4) * Logan Reese – Deckhand (ep 8–11) * Jennice Ontiveros – Deckhand

Season 3: ''Eros''

Yacht source: * Lee Rosbach – Captain * Leon Walker – Chef (ep 1–10) * Ben Robinson – Chef (ep 10–13) * Kate Chastain – Chief Stewardess * Amy Johnson – 2nd Stewardess * Raquel “Rocky” Dakota – 3rd Stewardess * Eddie Lucas – Bosun * Don Abenante – Deckhand/Second Engineer (ep 1–4) * Connie Arias – Deckhand * Emile Kotze – Deckhand * Dane Jackson – Deckhand (ep 5–8) * David Bradberry – Deckhand (ep 11–13)

Season 4: ''Valor''

Yacht source: * Lee Rosbach – Captain * Ben Robinson – Chef * Kate Chastain – Chief Stewardess * Emily Warburton-Adams – 2nd Stewardess * Sierra Storm – 3rd Stewardess * Kelley Johnson – Bosun * Trevor Walker – Senior Deckhand/Second Engineer (ep 1–2), Deckhand (ep 3–4) * Nico Scholly – Deckhand (ep 1–12), Senior Deckhand (ep 12–14) * Lauren Burchell – Deckhand * Kyle Dixon – Deckhand (ep 5–14)

Season 5: ''Valor ''

Yacht source: * Lee Rosbach – Captain * Matt Burns – Chef * Kate Chastain – Chief Stewardess * Brianna Adekeye – 2nd Stewardess * Jen Howell – 3rd Stewardess * EJ Jansen – Bosun (ep 5–11) * Nico Scholly – Lead Deckhand (ep 1–14), Bosun (ep 14) * Chris Brown – Deckhand (ep 1–6) * Bruno Duarte – Deckhand * Baker Manning – Deckhand * Kyle Dixon – Deckhand (ep 11–14)

Season 6: ''My Seanna''

Crew and yacht source: * Lee Rosbach – Captain * Adrian Martin – Chef * Kate Chastain – Chief Stewardess * Josiah Carter – 2nd Steward * Caroline Bedol – 3rd Stewardess (ep 1–9) * Laura Betancourt – 3rd Stewardess (ep 10–16) * Chandler Brooks –

(ep 1–9) * Ross Inia – Lead Deckhand (ep 1–8), Bosun (ep 9–16) * Ashton Pienaar – Deckhand * Rhylee Gerber – Deckhand * Tyler Rowland – Deckhand (ep 10–16)

Season 7: ''Valor''

Crew and yacht source: * Lee Rosbach – Captain * Kevin Dobson – Chef * Kate Chastain – Chief Stewardess * Simone Mashile – 2nd Stewardess * Courtney Skippon – 3rd Stewardess (ep 1–10), 2nd Stewardess (ep 11–18) * Ashton Pienaar – Bosun * Brian de Saint Pern – Lead Deckhand * Tanner Sterback – Deckhand * Abbi Murphy – Deckhand (ep 1–6) * Rhylee Gerber – Deckhand (ep 8–18)

Season 8: ''My Seanna''

Crew source: * Lee Rosbach – Captain * Rachel Hargrove – Chef * Francesca Rubi – Chief Stewardess * Elizabeth Frankini – Stewardess (ep 1–3), 2nd Stewardess (ep 3–8), Stewardess (ep 9–15) * Ashling Lorger – 3rd Stewardess (ep 3–8), Stewardess (ep 9–16) * Isabelle "Izzy" Wouters – Stewardess (ep 1–3), Deckhand (ep 3–13), Lead Deckhand (ep 13–16) * Eddie Lucas – Bosun (ep 1–16), First Officer (ep 16) * James Hough – Deckhand * Shane Coopersmith – Deckhand (ep 1–7) * Avery Russell – Deckhand (ep 1) * Robert Phillips – Deckhand (ep 8–16)

Season 9: ''My Seanna''

*Sean Meagher – Captain (ep 1–2) *Lee Rosbach – Captain (ep 2–15) *Eddie Lucas – First Officer *Rachel Hargrove – Chef *Heather Chase – Chief Stewardess *Fraser Olender – 2nd Steward *Jessica Albert – 3rd Stewardess (ep 1–9) *Kaylee Milligan – 3rd Stewardess (ep 12–15) *Jake Foulger – Deckhand (ep 1–3), Lead Deckhand (ep 3–15) *Rayna Lindsey – Deckhand *Wes O'Dell – Deckhand

Season 10: ''St. David''

* Lee Rosbach – Captain (ep 1–5, 14–17) * Sandra "Sandy" Yawn – Captain (ep 5–14) * Rachel Hargrove – Chef * Fraser Olender – Chief Steward * Alissa Humber – 2nd Stewardess (ep 1–13) * Leigh-Ann Smith – 2nd Stewardess (ep 14–17) * Hayley De Sola Pinto – 3rd Stewardess * Camille Lamb – Deck/Stew (ep 1–6), Stew (ep 6–9) * Tyler Walker – Deck/Stew (ep 10–17) * Ross McHarg – Bosun * Ben Willoughby – Deckhand (ep 1–4), Lead Deckhand (ep 5–17) * Katie Glaser – Deckhand * Luis Antonio "Tony" Duarte – Deckhand

Season 11: ''St. David''

Crew source: * Kerry Titheradge – Captain (ep1-17) * Anthony Iracane – Chef (ep 1–12) * Nick Tatlock – Chef (ep 13–17) * Fraser Olender – Chief Steward * Xandi Olivier – Stewardess (ep 1–4), 2nd Stewardess (ep 5–17) * Barbie Pascual – Stewardess * Cat Baugh – Stewardess (ep 1–7) * Paris Field – Stewardess (ep 10–17) * Jared Woodin – Bosun (ep 1–7) * Ben Willoughby – Lead Deckhand (ep 1–7), Bosun (ep 7–17) * Marie "Sunny" Marquis – Deckhand (ep 1–11), Lead Deckhand (ep 11–17) * Kyle Stillie – Deckhand * Dylan Pierre De Villiers – Deckhand (ep 8–17)

Timeline

Reception

The reality show has received mixed reviews from television critics. David Hinckley from the ''

New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...

'' gave a negative review, remarking that Bravo "make waves with reality series set on a luxury yacht, but viewers aren't well served by a show that's anchored in tedium." Reviewing the first episode of the show, he was not impressed by the lack of storylines and called the premiere "pretty mundane". Emily Yahr, a critic from ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', questioned the show's truthfulness and added that the series "seem so scripted—the stereotypical spoiled crew members, the neatly wrapped-up “plotlines”—that it's hard to take seriously, even in the dubious cable reality show genre." Rob Owen of the ''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...

'' was more positive by describing the show as a "fairly entertaining, voyeuristic look at a made-for-reality-TV crew."

David Wiegand Robert David Wiegand (May 19, 1947 – April 30, 2018) was an American journalist and short-story writer, head of arts and entertainment for the ''San Francisco Chronicle''. Life and career Wiegand was born in Rochester, New York, where he gradua ...

, writing for the ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...

'', noted the show's idea by saying that ''Below Deck'' "takes the idea of disparate types thrown together in a controlled environment and capitalizes on two seemingly inevitable results: friction and sexual tension". Neil Genzlinger from ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' criticized the casting choices, writing that "the real issue with this series is that the crew members aren't all that interesting." He also felt that "it's not actually the crew members—the stars of this series—who are unbearable" but the guests, for whom "the word “insufferable” was invented." Sandy Malone, writing for ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' in September 2014, questioned whether the show is hurting the yachting industry. Malone said, "My conclusion, if this show is going to do positive things for the yachting industry, instead of destroying its reputation for stellar service, a big change had better come with he upcoming season"

Ratings

Broadcast

''Below Deck'' premiered on the

cable network in the United States; the first episode debuted on Monday at 10:00/9:00 ET/PT on July 1, 2013. The preview special of the series aired on June 10, 2013. The first season ran for eleven episodes and concluded on September 9, 2013. The second season of the reality series debuted on August 12, 2014 and ended on November 4, 2014, after airing thirteen episodes. Both seasons featured a "Reunion" episode that reunited all the crew members to discuss the events of the season, as well as a special episode, "The Crew Tells All" with unseen footage of the season. The third season premiered on August 25, 2015 and concluded on December 1, 2015 with a two-part "Reunion" episode. Season 4 premiered on September 6, 2016 and concluded on December 6, 2016. The fifth season premiered on September 5, 2017 and concluded on December 5, 2017 with a "Reunion" episode airing on December 12, 2017. Season 6 premiered on October 2, 2018 and concluded on January 29, 2019 with a "Reunion" episode airing on February 5, 2019. Both ''Below Deck'' and ''Below Deck Mediterranean'' appeared on the Canadian E! network for the first five seasons. For these seasons, the Canadian E! network would often air the seasons in the same time slot as in the US, however not all seasons followed the Bravo US schedule. Starting in season 6, ''Below Deck'' and ''Below Deck Mediterranean'' were picked up by the Canadian

Slice Slice may refer to: *Cutting Food and beverage *A portion of bread, pizza, cake, or meat that is cut flat and thin: :*Sliced bread :*Pizza by the slice, a fast food dish *Slice (drink), a line of fruit-flavored soft drinks In Australia and New ...

network and all shows aired in the identical time slot as in the US on

. Although Canadians have access to both networks, Bravo US and Bravo Canada (not the same ownership), ''Below Deck'' has never aired on Bravo Canada. The two shows have a faithful viewing audience in Canada – especially since season 5 when Canadians started to appear on the show as part of the crew. Canadians appearing on the show have included Matt Burns from

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, Ontario as the chef in season 5 and Courtney Skippon from

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

as the third stewardess in season 7.

References

External links