We all have fantasized about living that vacation of a lifetime aboard a yacht that’sfeatured onBelow Deckand one of its many spin-offs. While the show is typically known for featuring charter guests who are simple people who can afford the adventure, sometimes,Below Deckwill gift viewers with a special guest who is a little more well-known.
Across the flagship series and its spin-offs, there have been an assortment of celebrity charter guests. Whether they are the primary guests or just along for the ride,these celebrities bring an extra little pizzazz to the episodes.Some celebrities have been as sweet as a peach. Others, well, they’re just a rotten apple. Here are ten of the most iconic celebrity charter guests fromBelow Deck.
Below Deck
‘Below Deck Sailing Yacht’
Known for her two appearances in the finals ofRuPaul’s Drag Race,Detoxtook some time to herself for a little rest and relaxation as she joined the Parsifal III for an adventure in Ibiza. Bringing along a group of her best Judys, Detox brought an energy the crew onBelow Deck Sailing Yachtare not always used to. With that big drag energy now on board, Detox’s appearance is not necessarily remembered for her but for the people who joined her. The charter guests included an adult film director and her fellow drag queen friend,Lola LeCroix.
Yes, there are expectations when you’re charting a luxury yacht, but some individuals take it too far.Chef Cloyce Martinshould never have used a knife used for cutting an onion to cut fresh fruit, but Lola LeCroix should never have accused the taste to be that of garlic. Fix those taste buds, diva! But when it came to dinner, and Lola was unsatisfied with the croquettes, or “cheese sticks in ball form,“perhaps this trip was a little too luxurious for the drag queen.To be fair, the meal was being prepared by a 22-year-old whom the charter guests mocked as a teenager who was about to get grounded.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
9Justin Guarini
Justin Guarini has come a long waysince losing toKelly ClarksononAmerican Idol. He’s had a brilliant stage career with multiple Broadway shows under his belt. And now, he’s had a chance to return to reality television as a guest of the primaries duringBelow Deck Sailing YachtSeason 4. During an adventure in Croatia, it took some time for Guarini to get his sea legs as he infamously spilled his drink on the stairs of Parsifal III.
He also complimentedChef Ileisha Dell’s meals, calling them “out of this world.” But Guarini’s appearance on the show was accompanied by a beautiful first for BDSY. The primary charter guests,Kim and Ian,invited the entire crew to eat with the guests for a family-style dinner service.It was an incredible moment as they felt it important to treat the crew with this opportunity, which is something that is very uncommon in the world of yachting. It was certainly a dinner the crew will never forget.
8Alexis Bellino
‘Below Deck’
Alexis Bellino made a splashonThe Real Housewives of Orange County, but it was her appearance onBelow Deckthat got the word chatting. Especially the crew aboard the motor yacht Valor. Her time in Phuket, Thailand was memorable not because she took in the sights. No, no.It was because of her overtly public displays of affectionwith her then-boyfriendAndy Bohn.
They were very much in love, and she was making it very well known that she was doing just fine post-divorce. Listen, it was their trip to do as they wish, but it was a bit much, especially for the crew.Chief Stew Kate Chastainthought they took it a bit overboard. As she said, “She just got divorced, and I don’t know if she’s trying to prove it to her ex or her friends that she is doin’ fine! But you may be doin' fine without having a tongue down your throat.”
7Heather Gay
‘Below Deck Adventure’
Below Deck Adventuremay be rememberedfor its single season, but in their single season, the crew of the Mercury certainly had fun in the fjords. With adventure the focal point of this season,Below Deck Adventurehad one famous face join them in Norway.The Real Housewives of Salt Lake CitystarHeather Gay took her friends alongwith her for an adventure like no other.
While her cousin and fellowRHOSLCstar Whitney Rosecouldn’t join her, she was joined by “Friend of"Angie Harrington. As someone who loves to have fun, Gay and her friends leaped into the action, which included helmets and harnesses as they ziplined during an off-yacht excursion.She truly loved her time exploring the Nordic coastline.And we loved seeing her!
Below Deck Adventure
6Cynthia Bailey and Claudia Jordan
Cynthia Bailey truly is as sweetas a Georgia Peach.The Real Housewives of Atlantastar chartered motor yacht Eros during Season 3 of the flagship series. As one of the most iconic and rockiest seasons there has ever been, Cynthia Baily and eventual peach-holderClaudia Jordanwere treated like queens in The Bahamas.
Baily made history as she was the first Housewife castmember to appear onBelow Deck.And she certainly wasn’t the last. Not only did she form anice bond with Captain Lee Rosbach, but fans were able to see a special connection between her and her daughter,Noelle Robinson. They all had tons of fun. So much so, we wished we were there with them.
5Johnny Damon
‘Below Deck Mediterranean’
Johnny Damonmay be best known for his extraordinary career in major league baseball, but reality television fans are familiar with his work on various celebrity reality shows, includingCelebrity ApprenticeandDancing with the Stars. But following those appearances, the big league slugger took two trips to Bravo World. First, during Season 4 ofBelow Deck Mediterranean, Johnny Damon wasseen as a bit demanding, as he was particular about his food.To be fair, the crew was in crisis mode when 3rd StewAnastasia Surmavahad to step into the chef role whenMila Kolomeitseva was fired. And then the fun began.
Below Deck Mediterranean
4Kary Brittingham
Before she was officiallya member ofThe Real Housewives of Dallas,Kary Brittingham appeared onthe second season ofBelow Deck Mediterranean. She may not have been the primary guest for the charter around Croatia, but she was there alongside the infamousJason Ziegler.
Why is he so infamous? Well, this is the guy Chief Stew Hannah Ferrier was smitten with and may or may not have shared a smooch with. Spoiler alert: they did. It certainly was a scandal! While Kary wasn’t the main focus of the episodes,she was still a prominent face aboard these monumental episodesthat ended up setting the stage between Hannah and her superior for seasons to come.
3Roy Orbison Jr.
When it comesto Captain Sandy Yawnand preferential treatment, if a celebrity comes aboard, expect her to cater to their every whim. And expect her to make the moment about her.Captain Sandy lovesit when famous people join her for a charter, and she will bend over backwards for them. Rather, she’ll force her crew to perform beyond their means just so those celebrities will take a photo with her and become her “in real life” friends afterward. When it came toRoy Orbison Jr., the son of the “Pretty Woman” singer, it was as if the biggest rock star was in her presence. The Captain Sandy who was working for civilians was not the Captain Sandy who appeared before Roy Orbison Jr. It was uncomfortable just how cringe she got to curry favor.
Perhaps their bond was pure, or Roy Orbison Jr. just loved his time on the high seas, but Roy Orbison Jr. is one of those recurring charter guests. UsuallyBelow Deckis known for excursions for the adults. But the Orbisons brought their children along. They were well-behaved, but they were certainly a handful. The first time Orbison Jr. appeared on the show was during Season 5.They made a nice impact on the crew by leaving a nice tip at the end of the charter.But the more he felt insulated in the fabric of the show, the more he felt he could do anything he wanted. Like acting like a petulant child and leaping off the ship. As a member of three-timer club, Orbison Jr. always made his time on the show worthwhile. He even brought along a member ofAce of Base, so that was cool for all us millennials watching! Perhaps his hope was to make his time in the Med an opportunity to launch his own reality show. He certainly made a case!
2Erica Rose
So here’s the thing. Being a charter guest onBelow Deckmeans you’re not only enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but you’re giving permission to have a camera crew follow you. And when that permission is granted, expect them to capture the good, the bad, and the ugly. Such was the case forErica Rose. Once vying for love onThe Bachelor, this former reality star brought viewers along for the ride not once but twice. During her first appearance on the show,she made waves because her friends were a bit too much.Not every person knew each other, so the tight quarters and the inability to jump ship were probably not the best place for an icebreaker experience. Rose’s friends were incredibly demanding. PoorDani Soareswas forced to give the guests, including Rose’s mother, massages. But this first charter will always be remembered for the infamous friend and her “Titties for Trump” bikini. The crew was not fond of this group. But would you be shocked to hear that this was the more mild charter of the two.
Money talks, so when Erica Rose and her husband,Charles Sanders, were chartering another trip on Parsifal III, there was absolutely nothing the crew could do. Luckily, Captain Glenn Shephard was preemptively prepare for the charter. Only, no one was ready for Chuck. He was highly critical of everything. He mockedChef Marcos Spaziani’s cooking, comparing it to ballpark food. It was a charter from hell. One might think that the worst part was Erica Rose’s mother standing the white coach with self-tanner, but it was what Charles did at the end.He left an abysmal tip of $6,500, the lowest in the show’s history.It was intentional and left a terrible impression.
1Jill Zarin
Just as a reminder, she may be the queen of the Big Apple, but thisThe Real Housewife of New Yorkwas rotten to the core.Jill Zarin was the guestof the primary. It wasn’t her charter, and yet, the way she issued her demands, you might think it was all on her dime. Easily one of the worst charter guests ever,Zarin was extremely demanding, and not just because of how she took her Diet Coke order.
Having her own yacht back in the day, she was perplexed as to why there wasn’t a bell to summonChief Stew Fraser Olender.Chef Anthony Iracane had some troublewith the list of demands for this group with conflicting preferences, so Zarin took it upon herself to hijack the next meal. She requested sushi, which is a dish the primary guest does not eat. It becomes a disaster in the galley. It’s a mess that Zarin created, yet she took it upon herself to complain toCaptain Kerry Titheradge about the meal. If Jill Zarin is on the guest list. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
