I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — Below Deck is the best reality show of all time. Well, okay, Jury Duty is up there, I’ll admit but Below Deck has been my long-standing go-to for years to turn off my brain and distract me from my good friend the existential spiral.
Personally, I have seen every episode of every iteration of the franchise and enjoyed every fkn second. But from an outsider’s perspective, I can appreciate how daunting it would be to start the franchise. Not only are there 11 seasons of the original Below Deck, but there are also nine seasons of Below Deck Mediterranean, four seasons of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, two seasons of Below Deck Down Under and one season of Below Deck Adventure. That’s 25 seasons of reality television boat madness!!!! And I’ve just realised that I’ve spent more time watching this show than I thought!!! I need to get a productive hobby!!!!
So, to help you if you’re Below Deck-curious, I’m breaking down the best iterations of the show. While the good people of Reddit firmly believe you should watch the show in order, I disagree. My judgement is based on which versions of the show have the best bang for your buck when it comes to drama and series length. You are welcome.
But first, if you’re not across the best reality TV show on the planet, let me fill you in.
What is Below Deck about?
The Below Deck franchise follows hard-working crews on luxury superyachts as they sail through some of the most gorgeous locations on the planet. Not only does the show follow them as they cater to every need of the supremely rich — and often rude — charter guests, but it also shows the behind-the-scenes lifestyle of living and working in extremely close quarters to your colleagues.
While it sounds like a nightmare on paper, most of these people are young and hot. I’ve always said if this writing thing doesn’t work out and my relationship goes to shit, you’ll be able to find me working on a boat in the Mediterranean, wearing a skort.
Anyway, as you can imagine, living and working with your colleagues, plus the intense nature of the demands by the charter guests, it creates a level of drama that is fascinating to watch as a viewer. But the best thing about it is that it doesn’t seem contrived or manufactured by producers like in other shows. The set-up is just the perfect storm of drama and boy, do I love to see it.
The 5 Below Deck Series Ranked From Least To Most Chaotic
5. Below Deck Adventure
Look, there’s a reason Below Deck Adventure only lasted one season — It kind of sucked.
Instead of being set in a hot climate, Below Deck Adventure follows a crew of yachties as they sail around the breathtaking fjords of Norway. The whole point of the show was to show the adventurous activities that the crew and their guests get up to, such as parasailing, bicycling and rock climbing.
It’s definitely a dream holiday experience, but the series ultimately lacks the drama and spice that I look for in a brilliant Below Deck season.
Below Deck Adventure hasn’t been renewed for a new season and I think that is a good thing because it allowed for Aussie Captain Kerry Titheradge to jump ship to Below Deck, taking over from Captain Lee who stepped down from his post for medical reasons.
4. Below Deck (The OG)
Below Deck has had the most fluctuations in season quality over the years, earning it the fourth spot. While there’s plenty of respect and love for the show that started it all, there have been some seasons which feel like genuinely nothing happens (Season Nine, anyone?).
At the helm for most seasons is Captain Lee Rosbach, an old-school sailor who loves quippy one-liners and has a no-nonsense attitude. He’s the kind of guy you don’t want to fuck with, and I love watching that play out. Sadly, Lee had to step down due to medical reasons after Season 10, allowing for hot Captain Kerry to step in.
Thankfully, there have been some bangers too. Here are my personal favourites;
- Season Two (2014): Chef Ben. That is all.
- Season Three (2015): A saucy little cheating scandal and an outspoken stew.
- Season Eight (2020): Multiple crew firings and a tragic event for Captain Lee.
- Season 10 (2022): A brilliant mix of new crew, lovely friendships and plenty of drama.
3. Below Deck Mediterranean
Below Deck Mediterranean is brilliant. It’s got the same formula that we know and love, mixed with the gorgeous background of the light-blue Mediterranean seas. It’s the perfect backdrop for reality television-inspired escapism.
Generally speaking, I feel like Below Deck Med has a slightly sillier vibe. I don’t know if this is due to the more relaxed leadership style of Captain Sandy Yawn, or the guests that are sailing through the Med. Either way, I bloody love it.
I’d also like to note that it was very difficult to choose between OG Below Deck and Below Deck Mediterranean, but with so many seasons between them, there were some seasons that swayed my opinion. So, if you’re feeling particularly cheeky and willing to throw all convention out the window. I’d recommend kicking off with these seasons.
- Season Four (2019): Good vibes from the interior team but they go through a BUNCH of chefs in one season.
- Season Five (2020): Features one of the biggest blow-ups in Below Deck history between two crew members, resulting in a very dramatic exit from the boat.
However, I am particularly excited for Season Nine of the show as we’ll be seeing Captain Sandy tie the knot with her long-term partner Leah! How cute is that?!
2. Below Deck Down Under
Below Deck Down Under is truly a gem. Not only does it showcase the beautiful reefs that Australia has to offer but it’s got the hottest captain of the lot at the helm — Captain Jason Chambers.
One of my favourite things about this show is the relationship that Captain Jason has with the equally beloved chief stewardess Aesha Scott. They have this brother-sister relationship that is so much fun to watch — especially when many of the other relationships on the show err towards the romantic.
Anyway, Aesha — who was also once on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here — is a fan favourite for her sing-song voice and tell-it-like-it-is attitude. Also, she’s just a great chief stew.
Below Deck Down Under currently only has two seasons but a hell of a lot has gone down in those episodes — including one of the most dramatic and frightening occurrences in all of Below Deck history. In one episode, two crew members are fired for two separate incidents of inappropriate behaviour.
In one instance, a cameraman had to get involved when a male deckhand attempted to get in bed with a stewardess while naked after a night of drinking. Huge yikes? Yes. But it is interesting to see how it plays out, and how the incident is handled on the boat.
1. Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Below Deck Sailing Yacht may be one of the more recent iterations of the franchise with only four seasons, but boy, does it fit a hell of a lot of tea into those seasons. You see, sometimes on this show, there are duds where the crew gets along swimmingly and it’s all sunshine and daisies. For the crew on Below Deck Sailing Yacht, this is not the case.
While season one is filled with relationship drama between the chief stewardess and the chef, I recommend you start with season two to get the full character arc of returning characters. One of the best things about Sailing Yacht is that from Season Two there are a bunch of lovable returning characters. This is a little treat and doesn’t always happen.
Plus, the boat itself even causes more drama. Instead of the crew working on a motorised yacht, this fancy vessel actually sees the crew sail the damn thing. This leads to lots of twists, turns, mechanical drama and injuries.
And finally, Captain Glen is arguably the most lovable captain of the lot and a bloody joy to watch. But, if you’re not sold, let me just list some of the dramas that happen on the show, without naming any names to avoid spoilers.
- mysterious pregnancy
- a love triangle
- a cheating scandal
- many, many awful charter guests
Well, there you have it. Below Deck Mediterranean Season Nine is out now on Hayu and will also be hitting Binge on June 4. You can watch ever iteration of Below Deck on Hayu, but the show is also scattered around a bunch of other streaming services.
Otherwise, you can watch Seasons Five to Nine of Below Deck Mediterranean and Seasons Six to 11 of Below Deck on Binge. And on Netflix, you can tune in to Season Seven of Below Deck and Seasons One and Two of Below Deck Sailing Yacht.
