Below Deck is a reality TV franchise that follows crew members on various different yachts during charter season. Audiences have questioned how much of it is real and how much of it is scripted, even wondering whether the crew are actually yachties.
Below Deck is considered one of the lowest-paid Bravo shows to appear on, making much less than other franchises airing on the channel. But, unlike other reality shows, everyone who appears on Below Deck is a professional who is trained and experienced in their field. This may be reflected in the low salary for appearing on the show.
The series has had several spin-offs, including Below Deck Sailing Yacht and Below Deck Down Under, and has become one of Bravo’s most successful reality TV franchises.
How Much Are Below Deck Crew Members Paid?
Below Deck crew members don’t just get paid for appearing on the reality show; they also get paid for their job. The Bravo franchise features real yachites alongside new crew members who want to explore the seas.
The staff are paid a handsome sum for their role working on super yachts. On a yacht the size of the My Seanna, a second and third steward makes about $5,000 monthly, while a chief steward earns around $5,500 to $6,000 monthly and a chef $7,000-$10,000 a month, depending on their experience. It is reported that the deckhands usually make around $3,500-$4,500 a month.
Of course, the staff of these yachts take home far more than their salary. It has been reported that they bring around $15,000 per person in tips. As a cast member of Below Deck, they make roughly $5,000-$6,000 per month. The cast doesn’t pay living expenses when working on board as it is all covered by production.
This might not seem much, and cast members have complained about their wages compared to other Bravo shows, but it does lead to other opportunities. After appearing on the franchise, people who have appeared on Below Deck can earn money from appearance fees, social media posts, and sponsor deals.
Eddie Lucas, who appeared in the franchise for six seasons, opened up about the pay discrepancies between the Below Deck cast and other franchises like RealHousewives and Southern Charm.
“There is somebody monetizing off of the show, but it’s definitely not us.”
“Below Deck—regardless of it being the most popular show on Bravo—we are the lowest-paid cast members.”
Although the “Bravolebrity” acknowledged that they get paid more than the salary of a regular yachtie, Eddie noted, “We are still not getting paid what people like the Housewives are making, which is a little frustrating because they’re not really working—they’re just going out to dinner and fighting.”
The guests who charter the yachts are also totally real. While many like the experience of being on a reality TV show, they mostly do it because they can enjoy 50% off their charter. Who doesn’t want to charter a very large yacht with a very experienced crew and watch drama unfold?
What It’s Like To Be A Below Deck Crew Member
Getting paid to sail to exotic locations around the world might sound like the perfect job, but what is it like to work as a Below Deck crew member? Actually, it is harder work than it sounds working on some of the more luxurious yachts around the world. With demanding guests, dramatic co-workers, and long shifts, it is no wonder staff start to lose their cool.
Former cast member Kate Chastain revealed that Below Deck cast members sign on for 16-hour or longer shifts before retreating to their tiny bunks. They get no privacy and are watched 24/7. The only place where there are no cameras is the bathroom, although if multiple cast members enter a bathroom, cameras can follow them.
Like any workplace, the crew members have lots of rules to follow. This is to keep the crew and the guests safe and happy. So, while the cast of Below Deck are there to cause drama and make good TV, there are standards to uphold. For example, the cast has to be sober in case of an emergency and must be drug tested if requested.
Is Bravo’s Below Deck Scripted?
Generally, Below Deck is unscripted, although certain scenes are dramatized to make good television. Certain conversations are encouraged and scenes are edited to give the show a narrative that keeps audiences going back for more.
All crew members are competent and experienced at that job, but they aren’t always picked for that reason. Producers will usually go with a mixture and pick big personalities who they think will clash and make good reality TV.
“I wish that I had the imagination and creativity to come up with the things that actually happen on the show because the things that happen on the show I could never in a million years come up with, could never imagine them,” producer Courtland Cox explained, according to Bravo.
Noah Samton, senior vice president of production for Bravo explained, “We’re really good at finding the people who are going to wear it on their sleeves.”
“People who aren’t on TV are pretty good at keeping drama behind closed doors.”
2015’s Captain Lee Rosbach explained that what audiences see of life onboard is “a pretty accurate snapshot, I really do. What happens, happens, and it’s all caught on film.”
He also admitted that some parts of Below Deck surprised even him, adding, “I think one of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned since I started doing a series is that a captain who thinks they really, really knows what goes on with his crew all the time is fooling himself, because he doesn’t.”
For those who think the show is too dramatic to be real have never been involved in the world of yachting. Captain Lee says this level of drama is quite common for yachties, “Any time you get people that are living and working together in that close proximity, you’re going to have issues and things are going to happen, and drama’s going to ensue. It’s been that way in yachting for years, long before the series came around.”
