Do the Guests Pay for the Charter on Below Deck?
The guests pay, production covers flights, and the discount has changed since the early seasons.
Founding Member: International Federation of Yacht Charter Agents
Verified & Protected by Pantaenius Yacht Insurance.
Guests Pay Their Own Money
Below Deck guests pay for their charter with their own money, at a discount. Creator Mark Cronin said in his Reddit AMA on 13 December 2016: "The guests pay their own real money to charter the boat."
The Discount Has Changed
Cronin described a discount of about 50%, but Captain Lee Rosbach later said guests on St David did not pay half. Production covers airfare, while guests fund the tip. These short filming trips have different terms from an ordinary booking. Our main Below Deck charter guide covers the yachts and their published weekly rates.
Quick Navigation
- 1 The Discount Varies Half Is Historical
- 2 Short Stays, Flights Covered What Packages Include
- 3 Guests Fund the Tip The Full Price Counts
- 4 Production Chooses the Guests Applying Through Casting
- 5 Private Charter Rates St David Without Filming
What Guests Pay and What They Do Not
| Item | Who Pays and What Applies |
|---|---|
| Charter fee | Guests pay a discounted fee. Cronin described about 50% off in 2016; Captain Lee said the half-price claim did not apply to St David in 2023. |
| Flights | Production covers airfare, according to Cronin and Captain Lee. TheThings reported return economy flights within the 2024 Mediterranean package. |
| Tip | Guests fund it. Cronin said they were asked for 15% to 20% of the full, undiscounted charter cost. TheThings reported a prepaid tip within the 2024 offer. |
| Length of stay | Guests pay for a short trip. Bravo's archived casting page specified three to four days on board. |
These terms come from dated producer statements and casting offers, not a published 2026 guest price list.
1.The Discount Varies
Half Is Historical
Cronin's 2016 account put the discount at about 50% of the vessel's normal cost for three days. He also said guests received no payment for appearing. That explains where the familiar half-price claim comes from, but later seasons may charge differently.
In October 2023, Captain Lee Rosbach challenged that claim for St David. Best Life reported his replies on X, including "They don't pay half" and his explanation that half-price may have applied in the early years.
His replies suggest a deeper discount on the later, larger yachts, without giving a replacement percentage. We found no verified 2026 guest fee in the sources reviewed. Quoting exactly half today would turn an old estimate into a current price.
2.Short Stays, Flights Covered
What Packages Include
Show guests stay for a few days under the offers reviewed. Bravo's archived casting page advertised three to four days at a highly discounted rate because production would film the guest experience. That wording belongs to the archived offer, rather than the current casting page.
Cronin said production paid airfare, and Captain Lee confirmed flights in 2023. A 2024 casting email reported by TheThings offered eight guests three days aboard for USD 65,000. The price included return economy flights, two hotel nights and a USD 15,000 prepaid tip.
That was one reported Mediterranean offer. TheThings did not reproduce the email itself. Its reported price and inclusions do not establish the terms for every season.
3.Guests Fund the Tip
The Full Price Counts
The tip comes from the guests. Cronin said production asked for about 15% to 20% of the full, undiscounted charter cost, while leaving the final amount to them. A reduced charter fee therefore does not mean a smaller tip.
A 2021 Mediterranean charter sheet reported by Showbiz Cheat Sheet described typical tips of USD 15,000 to USD 20,000 per charter. Those figures describe tips at the time, rather than a minimum or a current promise to the crew.
Bravo reported a franchise record of USD 50,018 in Mediterranean Season 11 on 29 June 2026. The 2024 offer reported by TheThings included a prepaid tip within the quoted price. That does not mean every package includes one.
4.Production Chooses the Guests
Applying Through Casting
Guests apply through production. Bravo's casting page directs interested groups to Belowdeck.Casting@51minds.com. It invites enquiries for upcoming seasons without publishing a guest fee, so an old casting price cannot tell an applicant what their own trip would cost.
Executive producer Jill Goslicky told Bravo that a casting department finds guests. She said finding people willing to take part is difficult, and confirmed that they are paying guests who leave real tip money.
TheThings' account of the 2024 offer says each guest underwent a video interview and needed Bravo's approval. Booking an ordinary crewed charter and applying to appear on the programme are separate processes. Having the budget alone does not secure a place on the show.
5.Private Charter Rates
St David Without Filming
St David's private charter rates, as listed on 12 October 2026, are USD 340,000 to USD 360,000 per week in winter. That covers the Caribbean and Bahamas. Summer Mediterranean rates are EUR 340,000 to EUR 360,000. These are base fees, with expenses extra.
A private booking also needs a budget for operating expenses through the advance provisioning allowance, applicable tax and gratuity. The television package covers fewer days and has its own flight arrangements, so its price does not tell us what a private week costs.
We cannot calculate today's television saving because we found no current guest fee in the sources reviewed. Our Below Deck yacht charter guide compares the published weekly rates across the fleet.
We have advised on charters since 2011, and we are tied to no operator, so the brief you get is the one that suits your crew, not ours. The Art of Charter.
Christopher Lait
Chris founded Drake Academy, a sailing company that provides leadership training to businesses. Now the CEO of SailChecker.com you will find him handling many of your enquiries as he attempts to drive SailChecker.com forward as the company of choice for yacht charter and sailing by focusing on quality advice and great customer service.
