This Is The Ultimate ‘Below Deck’ Dream Crew & I Won’t Be Taking Further Questions
During my last holiday break, I made the decision to do something productive with my spare time. I could have taken up a new hobby, or read a book, but instead I decided to watch every single season of Below Deck and Below Deck Mediterranean.
My parents should be extremely proud. The long-running reality show is set on insanely luxe superyachts, and each charter season a crew is assembled and has to take care of rich, entitled, and often obnoxious guests.
This is the kind of reality show that you probably either know nothing about, or you literally live and breathe it. For years, I didn’t have any interest in the increasingly popular series, preferring for my Bravo drama to come from Real Housewives or the restaurant staff of Vanderpump Rules.
But once I started watching Below Deck, I couldn’t stop. And I’m not the only one. In fact Below Deck and Below Deck Med are currently Bravo’s most-watched reality shows — even beating out the popular Beverley Hills and Salt Lake City seasons of Real Housewives.
As I’ve been binging the show, it’s hard not to imagine how perfect the series could be if all of the most memorable crew members assembled for one charter season. Slowly, in my mind, I’ve been assembling a dream crew that I think 100% needs to happen ASAP.
For the purpose of this story, I will only be selecting people who have appeared on Below Deck, not Below Deck Med. Look, I tried to do it with both series’ and I could not narrow it down to a nine-person crew. There are simply too many characters who I love on both shows.
Let’s jump into it…
Captain
Captain Lee
Obvy. Captain Lee is not just the only captain who has steered the superyachts on Below Deck, but he’s also just so damn charismatic. I will note that I also love Captain Sandy from Below Deck Med, and both of them as co-captains would be perfection.
Chef
Ben
There’s been a lot of chefs on this show! Sure, some have stirred up more drama than Ben — bringing Leon back to confront Kate would be iconic, and there was something especially chaotic about Rachel and Kevin in the kitchen. But Ben is far more entertaining, and just low-key messy. Like, the guy just can’t stop himself from hooking up with the rest of the cast. If it was up to me, Ben would be the chef every season.
Chief Stew
Kate
Kate is an icon. Kate is my favourite Below Deck crew member, and her recent exit from the series has truly changed the show for the worse. Like Francesca is fine, but there’s no chief stew quite like Kate. She is truly savage, absolutely hilarious, and her wholesome friendship with Captain Lee was always an episode highlight.
Second Stew
Rocky
OMG, IMAGINE! Season 3’s Rocky has to be one of the most controversial stews in Below Deck history. Between randomly appearing as a mermaid, to the time she stripped off and dived into the sea, there is no one quite like Rocky. I’d love to see her come back and become Kate’s second stew, simply because she would drive Kate insane and that would make A+ television.
Third Stew
Caroline
Remember Caroline?! Like Rocky, she belongs in the God-tier league of Below Deck alumni. She was a third stew on Season 6, and was pure chaos. She snapped at the crew, seemed to always be afflicted with some mysterious illness, and then quit out of the blue. Tbh, she was treated pretty terribly by Kate and second stew Josiah, so I think she deserves another chance to… absolutely annoy Kate again.
Bosun
Eddie
I adore Eddie. He’s probably Below Deck’s only bosun who seems to actually be good at their job. Add to this, he’s extremely funny, charming, and easy on the eyes. Eddie is also known for standing up for his female deckhands when they face sexist remarks onboard, so for this, we must stan. I also love the idea of him having to face Rocky after what he did to her on Season 3, when he convinced most of the crew that she was lying about them hooking up. The possibilities for drama are endless.
Senior Deckhand
Nico
Nico is my ultimate Below Deck crush! I just think he’s adorable, even though he can kind of be a douche sometimes. Nico hates authority figures, so he will likely cause conflict when Eddie tells him what to do. This reminds me of when Nico was demoted from bosun to senior deckhand on Season 5, and absolutely lost the plot.
Deckhand
Izzie
We’ve got to include at least one Aussie, and Izzie on the current Below Deck season is just a truly unique unit. She will provide hilarious commentary to lighten the mood, while giving an Australian perspective.
Deckhand
Riley
In need of some drama/conflict? Look no further than Riley. This fiery redhead is not shy about standing up for herself, as we saw with Chandler on Season 6 and Ashton on Season 7. She gives zero fucks about doing what she’s told, and will explode at anyone who she feels is “disrespecting” her aka anyone with a pulse.
Make it happen, Bravo!
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This article has been updated since it was originally published.