The Below Deck crew members aren't the only ones on board who have a certain set of rules to follow, as the charter guests do too, and we're going to talk about those rules today. On most yachts, the guests are allowed to do whatever they want, within reason. However, when a guest decides to charter a boat while being filmed for Below Deck, they need to follow rules similar to on-set rules for shows filmed on land.
The Bravo series follows the professional and personal lives of people who work in the yachting industry. Throughout the years, viewers have seen the different schedules of yachties. They know where they sleep, how they prepare for guests, and so much more.
After being on the ship for so many weeks, the crew members will tend to get aggravated with one another, and drama will ensue. Plus, if the guests are so inclined, they will cause some drama on the ship as well.
They Are Not Allowed To Speak To Production
Charter guest Terez Lauren, who appeared in the first few episodes of season 6, did an interview with Another Below Deck Podcast on Patreon (via Showbiz Cheat Sheet), where she spoke about some of the rules guests have to follow. One of them is that they aren't allowed to interact with production. After the charter guests arrive at the ship, they are not allowed to speak with the production crew. They want to do their best to not break the fourth wall, and that includes no interaction between production and the guests.
They Can't Play Music
The former guest and her husband Lee Percenti also revealed that playing music wasn't allowed on board. "One of the things was the music. We had dance parties in our room," Lee revealed. He then added that they even had to pay a licensing fee to use the song they wanted for their wedding. The guest had one song for the wedding that they paid for and had a whole dance party in their room. "I thought they were gonna make us look weird because we’d go in our room and shut the door," he explained. "We’d open it and be like, ‘Hey, we’d like eight espresso martinis. Thanks.’ Shut the door." (via Reality Blurb).
Can's Say "Bravo"
Terez of Below Deck fame also said that no one on board is allowed to utter the word "Bravo." However, fans of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills have already heard this rumor. During RHOBH season 10, former cast member Denise Richards attempted to use the word often, to get production to cut certain scenes. Her costar Kyle Richards allegedly told her to say it if she ever wanted a scene to be left out of the show.
No Shoes Outside The Cabin
While this may be obvious, the crew and the guest are not allowed to wear their outside shoes on board. Oftentimes viewers will see guests barefoot walking around the teak and the Below Deck yacht's interior rooms. High heels can cause dents on the teak floors, and shoe soles will sometimes leave scuff marks on the deck and the white carpets (via Showbiz Cheat Sheet). At the start of every charter, the crew will even leave a basket at the entrance of the ship for guests, who are sometimes flirty, to place their shoes before coming on board.
Below Deck is a show that caters to the guest, but when filming a TV show, even they need to follow a set of rules. Production wants to give the fans the best entertainment they can, even if that means censoring the guests. The crew may think the guests are the most important part of the charter, but in reality, it's the viewers.
Below Deck Mediterranean airs Mondays at 9 pm EST on Bravo.
Sources: Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Reality Blurb, Showbiz Cheat Sheet