BELOW Deck audiences have been speculating how much of the show is scripted, and how much of the drama is authentic.
Below Deck, which first hit screens on Bravo in 2013, is currently on its eighth season.
Is Below Deck scripted?
Captain Lee Rosbach told Reality Blurred that his crew and his yacht operation are 100% real.
Rosbach chooses his own engineer & first officer and has the authority to fire any crew member that jeopardizes the safety of patrons.
“I think it’s a pretty accurate snapshot, I really do,” he asserted to Reality Blurred.
“What happens, happens and it’s all caught on film. Some people may disagree with that assessment, but you’ve always got drama on board a boat. Any time you get people that are living and working together in that close proximity, you’re going to have issues.”
Other cast members have supported Rosbach's claims.
Linda P. Jones, a guest on season 6 of Below Deck, told Bravo that all the action that unfolds on-board is unplanned.
“The show is 100% real,” she revealed. “The producers basically said, we want to create an amazing trip for you. Just have a good time, and that’s what we did. So, no, it’s definitely not scripted.”
There are some aspects that are fictional, however. The show takes place on a different yacht every season, although sometimes they are renamed to protect the interests of the owners.
Yacht broker Laura Littlejohn told The Cinemaholic that crew members are tipped in envelopes full of cash that are made out to be from guests, but are actually taken from the show's budget.
Although there are fictional elements to the program, it trumps most other reality shows in terms of authenticity and accuracy.
Why was Elizabeth Frankini fired from Below Deck?
Elizabeth Frankini was cut from the Below Deck crew on February 8's episode of the show.
“I think every charter I’ve really had to work and I’m continually putting energy and checking up on you and we’ve had numerous chats about this, but sleeping in the guest cabin was sort of, like, the final straw for me,” Francesca Rubi told Elizabeth, 30, during the episode.
“We’ve come to sort of a decision, we’re gonna have to let you go.”
Fans of the show were not shocked by the decision, as Elizabeth butt heads with Australian chief stewardess Francesca.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CLM9H_7nKK4/
A post shared by ELIZABETH FRANKINI ? (@bettabird)
"I have a feeling she's very different than how she was portrayed," a user posted on Twitter of Elizabeth's character on the show.
"Elizabeth was not a great stew, she should of been gone after the first trip," another user wrote.
"Co-sign. As someone who worked in service, I’ve dealt with so many Elizabeth’s and picking up their slack," one agreed.
How much do the Below Deck cast make?
According to Refinery 29, the cast of Below Deck makes quite a hefty salary for doing their jobs working on "yachties".
The outlet reports that on a yacht the size of the My Seanna, a second and third stewardess earns an average of about $5,000 per month.
A chief stewardess brings in around $5,500 to $6,000 per month, and the chef on the boat could make about $7,000-$10,000 a month, depending on experience and training.
The deckhands usually make around $3,500-$4,500 a month, while a bosun would make a little bit more at approximately $5,000 a month.
However, that's not including tips the whole crew receives from guests on the boat.
Throughout the season of Below Deck, the crew reportedly brings in around $15,000 per person in tips for about six weeks of work.
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