Since Captain Lee Rosbach is no longer part of the Below Deck cast, he is free to spill as much tea as he wants about the show. We’re grateful for that. Any opportunity to learn about the behind-the-scenes workings of Below Deck is appreciated because it’s truly a fascinating production.
The Stud of the Sea recently made an appearance on T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach’s podcast, appropriately titled the Amy and T.J. podcast. During their chat, Captain Lee dished about the early days of Below Deck. Long before there were a half-dozen spinoffs of Below Deck, it was just Captain Lee and his yachties paving the way.
The early days of Below Deck
“When we first started the series, it was so unknown,” Captain Lee recalled. “I am not going to say nobody knew what they were doing but no one had filmed charter guests on a moving boat with all the crew and the camera crew and the audio techs and everything we had to have on board. It had not been done before.”
Since the show was so new, Captain Lee said that the charter guests didn’t have to pay. The superyacht experience was completely free for the earliest charter guests. For most people, that sounds like the opportunity of a lifetime, but we know how bratty the guests can be on Below Deck. Lee explained that without charging the guests, they ended up having problems securing the bookings.
Captain Lee explained, “If they didn’t have any skin in the game, at the last minute they would find a bigger, better deal and they wouldn’t show up.”
Without charter guests, the entire concept of the show falls apart, so they can’t risk the guests not showing up. These days, the charter guests have to pay their way into the Below Deck experience. They do, however, receive a hefty discount for participating in the show. Overall, it’s a pretty sweet deal for those lucky enough to afford it.
TELL US – ARE YOU SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THE EARLY BELOW DECK CHARTERS WERE FREE? IF YOU COULD, WHICH BELOW DECK SHOW WOULD YOU JOIN AS A CHARTER GUEST?
