Every Below Deck crew does their best to satisfy each charter guest and cater to their needs, but that doesn’t always reflect in their tip.
There have been some unfavorable charter guests throughout the Below Deck franchise, and several have been called out for being horrible tippers. The success of the Bravo series, which debuted in 2013, has resulted in the equally-successful spin-offs Below Deck Mediterranean, Below Deck Sailing Yacht, Below Deck Down Under, and Below Deck Adventure. The franchise has been so successful thanks to the crew and the guests.
The charter guests throughout the Bravo franchise have money to spend, which is reflected in the guests’ lavish requests like specific food and alcohol. The tip is split between the entire crew, and with anywhere from eight to ten cast members each season, the average tip becomes increasingly smaller with each division. It takes a lot to work on a yacht, and the average tip on Below Deck reflects that at $20,000. While some charter guests’ tips have been praised by fans, especially the ones who tip between $20,000 and $25,000, others have been branded as rude, cheap, and demanding. Sadly, this happens more times than it should.
Charles Sanders & Erica Rose (BDSY Season 3)
Charles Sanders and Erica Rose are not just regarded as one of the worst Below Deck tippers, but the worst charter guests in general. The couple constantly complained, with Charles even comparing Chef Marcos Spaziani’s food to McDonald’s, even though Captain Glenn Shephard and the crew bent over backward for Charles and Erica. As if the constant insults weren’t enough, the crew (and viewers) couldn’t believe their eyes and ears when Charles and Erica only left a $6,500 tip. The duo has defended their actions on BDSY several times since the episode aired. Understandably, viewers shouldn’t expect to see them back.
Timothy Sykes (Below Deck Season 2)
While Timothy Sykes later gave the highest tip in Below Deck history at $30,000, his infamous first stint as a charter guest had Captain Lee Rosbach and Chef Ben Robinson seeing red. Timothy, a stock trader who boarded Ohana with his girlfriend, was high-maintenance to the extreme. Although Timothy talking down to former chief steward Kate Chastain and complaining about the WiFi annoyed the crew, Timothy’s worst moment occurred when he went to hand Captain Lee the yacht crew’s $22,000 tip before taking $5,000 back because his girlfriend didn’t like Chef Ben’s food. Viewers were beside themselves at Timothy’s passive-aggressive attitude and stiff tip, and although he made another appearance on Below Deck season 5, he wasn’t welcomed with open arms.
Jane Zhao (Below Deck Mediterranean Season 5)
Jane Zhao, who boarded The Wellington with friend Justin Thornton, came under fire from Below Deck Med fans because she gave a low tip based on circumstances out of Captain Sandy Yawn and the crew’s control. While Jane and her company were looking forward to the open seas, the yacht was grounded because of bad weather. Although Captain Sandy apologized and the crew did their best to make the guests’ experience amazing, Jane’s tip only came out to 24%, about $17,000. Jane defended her low tip on Reddit during an AMA, where she again expressed displeasure at being grounded. Considering that the weather is uncontrollable, fans were not impressed with Jane’s explanation.
The Below Deck franchise is continuing to grow as its popularity spreads. The show and its spin-offs all rotate through Bravo’s schedule, so fans look forward to seeing more in the future. Hopefully, the yacht’s charter guests will keep tipping the crew what they truly deserve.
