''Below Deck'' is an American

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...

series that premiered on Bravo 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 ...

season. The series has a number of spin-offs, including '' Below Deck Mediterranean'', '' Below Deck Sailing Yacht'', '' Below Deck Down Under'', and '' Below Deck Adventure''.

Production

For the first season, producers booked a five-week

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

charter in

Sint Maarten Sint Maarten () is a Countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean region of North America. With a population of 58,477 as of June 2023 on an area of , it encompasses ...

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 The British Virgin Islands (BVI), officially the Virgin Islands, are a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean, to the east of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands and north-west ...

. 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 '' Below Deck Mediterranean'', 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 east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

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

the Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of ...

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, officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and a Territories of the United States, territory of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Isl ...

. 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

. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2018 and was filmed in

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian language, Tahitian , ; ) is the largest island of the Windward Islands (Society Islands), Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. It is located in the central part of t ...

French Polynesia French Polynesia ( ; ; ) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole #Governance, overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. The t ...

. 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 could 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, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

. 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 (; , , or ''Tongkah'') is one of the Southern Thailand, southern Provinces of Thailand, provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, List of islands of Thailand, the country's largest island, and another 3 ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. 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 local population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the most populous island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua ...

. 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 and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. In May 2021,

Peacock Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...

ordered a new spin-off, '' Below Deck Down Under''. The series followed the upstairs and downstairs of a super-yacht in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. 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. On May 12, 2022, Bravo announced the renewal of ''Below Deck'' and '' Below Deck Mediterranean'', and also announced that a new spin-off, titled '' Below Deck Adventure'', 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 * 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 * Kelley Johnson – Second Engineer * 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 – Bosun (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 * 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)

Season 12: ''St. David''

Crew and yacht source: * Kerry Titheradge – Captain * Lawrence Snowden – Chef (ep 1–3) * Anthony Iracane – Chef (ep 2–) * Fraser Olender – Chief Steward * Rainbeau de Roos – 2nd Stewardess * Solène Favreau – Stewardess * Barbara Kulaif – Stewardess * Caio Poltronieri – Bosun * Jess Theron – Lead Deckhand * Kyle Stillie – Deckhand * Damo Yorg – Deckhand

Timeline

Reception

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

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'' 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 ''

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'', 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 Greater Pittsburgh, metropolitan Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the fi ...

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

'', 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'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' 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 ''

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'' 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 Bravo 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 network and all shows aired in the identical time slot as in the US on Bravo. 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 is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

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

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

as the third stewardess in season 7.

References

External links