Last week on Below Deck, Captain Lee Rosbach let the crew know that frat boy Michael and his group left a horrible tip of only $15,000. In one of the first episodes, the charter guests left a $20,000 tip, which the captain deemed a good tip.
The difference between the two tips has caused several social media users to wonder how the yachting tipping process works. Chief stew, Kate Chastain recently chatted with Entertainment Tonight and answered part of the question.
“On a yacht of that size, a good tip would be $5,000 a person, for seven days of work. Five grand a crew member, usually. Our charters are a little bit shorter, just so we can make the show, but everything else is exactly the same. So, it’s prorated. We usually get around $2,500, $2,000. Anything less than $1,000 would be depressing, which sounds crazy, doesn’t it?” Kate expressed.
Below Deck charters generally run two days, sometimes three days, to ensure the Bravo production schedule can be met. Kate did reveal the shorter charter means more work for the crew because they are jamming in the same amount of fun for the guests but in less time. There is very little downtime for the crew during the charter.
Kate did not mention exactly how the tip is divided up. On the show, there is always a meeting with Captain Lee letting everyone know the total tip, as well as the per person tip. The meeting leaves viewers under the impression that each crew member receives the same amount.
There is one big difference in the yachting tip process verses the Below Deck tip process. On the show, the primary guest gives Captain Lee an envelope full of cash. Kate explained, on other charters, that most of the time the primary will wire the tip after the trip is over. The reason for this is that most of the fancy guests don’t carry around the amount of cash needed to tip properly.
Kate Chastain clued viewers in to what is considered a good yachting tip. What did you think of her explanation?
Below Deck airs Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo.