I’ve Uncovered the Surprising Cost Below Deck Mediterranean Guests Actually Pay to Appear on the Show
I’ve Uncovered the Surprising Cost Below Deck Mediterranean Guests Actually Pay to Appear on the Show
Below Deck Mediterranean passengers pay tens of thousands of dollars to experience a once-in-a-lifetime journey on the popular Bravo show.
Below Deck Mediterranean passengers are willing to pay big bucks in order to set sail with the crew on Bravo’s popular reality docu-series.
The show follows a magnetic group of yacht crew members who aren’t afraid to be filmed as they offer elite guests unique experiences at “a highly discounted rate of what the normal charter fee” for a motor yacht would be, according to Bravo’s casting website.But even the slashed prices still cost groups tens of thousands of dollars.
In this article, we will share trip rates exclusively obtained by TheThings.com. Then, we will reveal how much the cast pockets from appearing in the franchise.
How Much Below Deck Mediterranean Guests Pay To Appear On The Show?
Excited fans who want to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience have to pay $65,000 for a group of eight to enjoy a filmed getaway, according to a casting email exclusively obtained by TheThings.com. This comes out to approximately $8,125 per person including the tip.
For over a decade, luxurious vessels have taken well-paying passengers to explore beautiful places like the Greek Islands, glorious Italian shores and the stunning french Riviera. During season 10, a three-day excursion to Spain will be offered. It’s scheduled to start filming in August 2024 and will wrap in the fall, according to the casting team assigned to pick the perfect people.
Bravo claims the $65,000 rate is cheaper than what the average travelers would pay for the same experience if the show were not being filmed.
According to the analysis by Windward Yachts, the weekly charter price for the same vessels used on Below Deck Mediterranean cost between $175,000 – $280,000.
Casting documents reveal the fee covers an economy roundtrip airfare for everyone, two nights in a hotel, three days on a luxury yacht, a private chef, food and alcohol on the yacht, 24 hour service and all “water toys.”
Guests can also book their own airfare and be credited $1,200 per person, the casting email claimed.
The hefty fee includes a $15,000 prepaid tip (which comes to about $1,500 per crew member) but that number is as fluid as the sea because even though guests have to pay up early on, they can change the amount they decide to tip on the very last night.
Usually, the guest who was in charge of booking the vacation hands an envelope with cash inside to the team once the journey has come to a close. In rare instances, the crew can be left empty-handed.
In season 1, the team didn’t get a tip because second steward, Kat Held found white powder and a rolled dollar bill while cleaning the cabins and Captain Lee was forced to follow maritime law and boot the guests off of the boat. If he didn’t, the crew’s credentials could have been at risk and who knows what would have happened to the franchise?
Kat spoke about the incident on camera at the time.
“A lot of us put years and years into getting our licenses. The smidgen of anything illegal will take that away from all of us.”
Payment isn’t the only obstacle for potential guests. If folks want to enjoy a “unique and unforgettable experience” they have to be willing on camera and be vetted by the network before jumping aboard.
Every single person being considered for the show has to be interviewed via video chat and approved by Bravo before they can officially board.
If guests are lucky enough to be picked, they may be asked back. That happened to Linda P. Jones, who appeared on season 1 of Below Deck Mediterranean during a girls’ trip with friends. She shared her experience in a blog post.
“We’ve been contacted and invited to come back on Below Deck Med every year since.”
She claimed the “food was as good as everyone says” and she “ate every single bite of everything.”
The casting team claims slots fill up fast, so if you don’t sign up you may miss the boat on the opportunity.
Below Deck Cast Members Claim To Be Underpaid
Cast members of the franchise have complained about payment for years, despite the hefty fees passengers pay for the experience.
Below Deck alum Eddie Lucas, who worked his way up from deckhand to First Officer over a handful of seasons, was very outspoken about how much cast members make in an interview with the New York Post in 2022.
“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.”
In the interview, he added “we are the lowest-paid cast members” despite having to put in labor and obtaining specialized licenses for some positions just to even qualify for that type of work. Following his public criticism of the pay, he was not asked back on the show and will likely never return.
In an article published by Business Insider, some of the stars of the franchise made between $5,000 – $6,000 per month as captains earned nearly triple that amount.
Although the full rates of crew members are not known, Below Deck Down Under alum Laura Bileskalne, who was fired for fighting with co-workers, told the Miss Understood podcast in November 2023 that the workers receive “a very small” amount of money outside of tips.
The job alone can be pretty dangerous and other cast members from the Below Deck franchise have spoken out about pay after Eddie’s comments went viral.
Below Deck Mediterranean alum Jessica More replied to a social media post with his quotes on the topic writing, “yep I see all facts in his statements.”
In 2022, Below Deck Sailing Yacht alum Dani Soares commented on an Instagram fan page “Southern Charm makes 25k per episode … I made less than that all season including tips.”
Below Deck’s Captain Lee Rosbach weighed in on the topic during a taping for his podcast Salty With Captain Lee in January 2024 saying that $1,500 or $2,000 for a three-day charter was “pretty good money.”
“As far as salaries go, what someone else makes is none of my business. I negotiate what I want and what I think I am worth. We either come to an agreement or we don’t and I leave.”
But cast members have other ways to make money because, as always, reality television can launch some people into a world of new opportunities.
Below Deck Mediterranean’s Captain Sandy has partnered with skincare companies like Niveda while the show’s former chef Adam Glick went on to release a cookbook and have partnerships of his own.
