After the success of Below Deck, Bravo expanded on the series by creating three spinoffs: Below Deck Mediterranean, Below Deck Down Under, and Below Deck Sailing Yacht. While the premise for every show is the same—mega-wealthy guests charter incredible yachts while the crew plans an unforgettable trip for them without failing—each show has its own spin.
Most fans rally behind the popular opinions of the show (like the captains doing a great job, the chief stews knowing how to handle conflict etc...), but there are always hot takes that got Reddit buzzing.
Updated on November 6th, 2022, by Lynn Gibbs: At BravoCon ’22, it was announced that Below Deck was getting another spinoff, Below Deck Adventure. The series will have a new captain, fresh cast, and take place in Norway. The guests will be those looking for chill-seeking escapades. Below Deck fans are excited about a new series but with three series already in action, there are already popular and unpopular opinions running rapid. On Reddit, fans shared their unpopular opinions about recent seasons that stirred the pot.
Jenna MacGillivray And Adam Glick Weren't That Bad Of A Couple
Below Deck Sailing Yacht - Season 1
In season 1 of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, fans saw a familiar face in Chef Adam of the original Below Deck series. As one of the better Below Deck chefs, his friendship with the chief stew, Jenna, grew into something romantic, and the two began dating. The popular opinion was that, as a couple, these two were anything but the perfect match. They often fought and neither could fully be themselves in the relationship.
On Reddit, user ByteAboutTown deviated from most fans in their assessment of the relationship, insisting that they weren't a bad couple in the slightest. The Redditor wrote that they "Felt bad for Adam in that relationship. I think Adam had built up a lot of walls when it came to relationships," and Jenna didn't know how to read him.
Captain Jason’s Not The Best Captain
Below Deck Down Under - Season 1
Captain Jason was the newest captain to the season and is well-known for his rugged good looks and light-hearted attitude on-deck. Even though he acted as the crew’s friend and confidant, he had a stern side that demanded respect from his crew.
The popular opinion was that Jason was a breath of fresh air for the franchise, but one Redditor found him overrated. They wrote, “I'm over Capt. Jason. He is a terrible captain.” The Redditor called Jason a micromanager and insecure, which isn’t how most viewers would describe Jason.
Hannah Ferrier Left Kiko Lorran Out To Dry
Below Deck Med. - Season 5
There are a bunch of things that fans don't know about Captain Sandy, but her relentlessness against Chef Kiko in season 5 was not one of them. No one expected her to fire him after a few charters and were sad when he left.
Reddit's KeyLimeCheesecake, however, thought Hannah didn't help the situation and contributed to Kiko's firing. They elaborated, "The guests asked for a [Las] Vegas night and he had never been there and Hannah suggested nachos!!! I’ve never had nachos in Vegas. When I think of Vegas I think of steak and lobster. And of course Hannah said absolutely nothing." This is unpopular because at the end of the day, Kiko was the chef and in charge of food, and Hannah protected him throughout the charter.
Fan's Don't Want Drama, They Want A "Competent" Boat Staff
Every Series
There have been some amazing stewardesses on Below Deck, but there have also been some lazy ones. Some are wonderful at leading the crew while others need a bit of help. Nevertheless, the ups and downs of their jobs are a big reason why fans tuned in.
Some Redditors, however, would rather skip the theatrics of relationship woes and friendship troubles. Independent_Coast901 wrote, "I have zero interest in the boatmances and contrived drama between crew members." This can be seen as unpopular because as a reality TV show, this is why viewers watch. "I’d much rather see a competent crew who get on well have to deal with difficult guests and the general stresses of yachting."
Bugsy Drake's Tablescapes Were Overrated
Below Deck Med. - Seasons 2 And 5
Stews like Bugsy Drake taught viewers a lot about yachting on Below Deck, but there was one thing that fans weren't expecting to learn about: an art known as tablescaping. Bugsy was obsessed with creating beautiful tables, and Captain Sandy encouraged it because fans appreciated it so much.
But were Bugsy's tablescapes that legendary? Ag90909 wrote "I am not a fan of Bugsy’s tables. They don’t look as upscale as Sandy believes they do." The Redditor compared Bugsy's tablescapes to another stew's and felt hers missed the mark. "Bugsy’s settings are fun and cute, but not always appropriate for a yacht," they continued.
Yachting Doesn't Seem Enjoyable
Every Series
What separates Below Deck from other reality TV shows is the everyday life of those working in the yachting industry. Not only are the jobs of the crew fascinating, but life as a charter guest seemed amazing.
Lying in the sun all day and eating food prepared by a top chef, however, didn't seem all that fun to Redditor MrsCarr1000. The Bravo fans wrote, "What is there to do? I’d rather be working on the boat than playing. Every episode I feel like all we see is people lying around on their phones." This is unpopular because lounging on a mega yacht in a tropical location is what most people dream of.
Adrienne Gang Wasn't That Bad
Below Deck - Season 1
Adrienne Gang was the first chief stew on season 1 of Below Deck. After her appearance, she quickly became one of the most hated chief stews because of certain choices she made in her role. From trying too hard with the guests to being confrontational with her team, Adrienne's behavior made her unpopular with a lot of viewers.
Going against popular opinion, Instigatehappiness posted on Reddit, defending Adrienne. They said, "She gets a lot of hate but she was dealing with Sam who was the worst stew."
Paget Berry And Ciara Duggan Were Awful
Below Deck Sailing Yacht - Season 1
Paget Berry and Ciara Duggan from Below Deck Sailing weren't everyone's all-time favorite Bravolebrities, but fans did feel bad for Ciara. The couple had already been dating for years before joining the sailing yacht together. They were a great team while working, and they respected each other when off the clock.
However, when stewardess Georgia Grobler set her eyes on Paget, he didn't mind the flirtation. Because of Paget's treatment of Ciara and Georgia in this season, Reddit user JackKnowsBest thought he and Ciara were "unbearable." A majority of fans liked Paget and Ciara's relationship but JackKnowsBest thought "they found a way to blame [Parker] for things going wrong," and complained that the pair "whine[d] all the time."
Kate Chastain Could Be A Bad Chief Stew
Below Deck - Seasons 2-7
The popular opinion about chief stew Kate Chastain is that she was a hilarious TV figure and a strong chief stew with years of knowledge. However, Jadelens00 tried to normalize the unpopular opinion of "simultaneously" loving Kate for her personality while thinking she was a bad manager.
Another Redditor, Sarpol, explained that "her sniping, her sarcasm, her narcissism" were reasons why she was not good at her job. Nevertheless, some of Below Deck's best seasons included Kate as the chief stew. Since Kate is such a popular Bravolebrity, the popular opinion is that she can do no wrong in fans' eyes.
Lee Is Not A Great Captain
Below Deck - Seasons 1-9
What makes the Below Decks franchise so entertaining is watching the various captains and their different styles. Like Captain Sandy, Captain Glenn, and others, Captain Lee had decades of experience in the yachting world and was good at his job.
Redditor BlueZebu, however, wasn't impressed with Captain Lee. They said they "would never hire Lee to captain my yacht." The Redditor added that they believe Lee's management style of "ignorance is bliss" was a poor way to run a yacht. However, most fans loved Lee's tough-as-nails attitude and reliance on independence. Today, he's one of Below Deck's most liked captains.