There have been quite a few celebrities who have appeared on Below Deck as charter guests. The reality series spotlights the crew members working on superyachts. Each charter season, the crew navigates their jobs as parts of the exterior or interior departments. Below Deck showcases the not-so-glamorous side of yachting, shifting focus from the guests to its crew members who stick around for a full charter season. Nonetheless, guests sometimes steal the spotlight away from the crew to themselves. Some formed incredible bonds with the crew, while other Below Deck guests had terrible attitudes.

Charter groups can set the vibes high or incredibly low during their stay aboard the superyachts. While they aren’t the stars of Below Deck, patrons can stir up drama and make the crew’s job incredibly difficult. Some guests are far more easygoing than others. On Below Deck season 11, The Real Housewives of New York City alum Jill Zarin attended a charter. Jill slammed Chief Stew Fraser Olender after her episodes of Below Deck aired, accusing him of making their trip terrible. However, she’s not the only big name who has appeared on the show.

8

Heather Gay

The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City

Heather Gay is one of the most recent housewives to appear on Below Deck. She was featured as a charter guest during Below Deck Adventure season 1 with Captain Kerry Titheradge. Joining Heather on the trip was her fellow The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City co-star at the time, Angie Harrington. She told E! News that Whitney Rose was also invited to the charter but couldn’t make it due to a “schedule conflict.” Despite another housewife being onboard the superyacht, most of the spotlight was on Heather during the charter.

Despite having an incredible time with Captain Kerry and his crew, Below Deck Adventure fans didn’t enjoy Heather on the show. Some argued she was putting on for the camera at times. Nonetheless, Heather looks back on her experience in the series fondly. Heather told E! News that after watching the show back, she was “surprised” by “how much work the crew has to do.” While her charter has been over for quite some time, she keeps in touch with Captain Kerry and the rest of the Below Deck Adventure crew.

7

Cynthia Bailey

The Real Housewives Of Atlanta

Cynthia Bailey is one of the most beloved cast members from The Real Housewives of Atlanta. She was on Below Deck season 3 with her RHOA season 7 co-star, Claudia Jordan. Cynthia was the first housewife to appear on Below Deck during one of the most hectic early seasons of the franchise. Nonetheless, she enjoyed her time on Eros and forged a good relationship with Captain Lee Rosbach after her charter experience. At BravoCon 2019, Cytnhia told Daily Dish she was “excited” to see him again after so long.

She explained her time on the show “made” her daughter, Noelle Robinson, think she was “the coolest mom ever.” Cynthia said she formed “a really good connection” with Captain Lee. BravoCon 2019 was their first time seeing each other since Below Deck, and she said they “hugged each other like crazy” when reuniting. Cynthia is a fixture in the Bravosphere, and it would be exciting to see her return for another charter on Below Deck or any of its spin-offs.

6

Alexis Bellino

The Real Housewives Of Orange County

Alexis Bellino starred in The Real Housewives of Orange County for seasons 5-8 and is making her return to the franchise for the upcoming RHOC season 18. She appeared on Below Deck season 7, Chief Stew Kate Chastain’s last season on the show. Alexis attended the charter with her then-boyfriend, Andy Bohn. Kate and the rest of the crew felt a little uncomfortable with how affectionate Alexis and Andy were throughout the trip. Their excessive PDA made the crew’s heads turn, and Kate was willing to call it out in her confessional interviews.

“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!”

5

Kary Brittingham

Former The Real Housewives Of Dallas Star

Before joining the cast of The Real Housewives of Dallas, Kary Brittingham was on Below Deck Mediterranean season 2. She appeared in Jason Ziegler’s infamous charter, where he kissed Chief Stew Hannah Ferrier. When Kary joined RHOD season 4, she was recognized by Bravo fans because of her brief time on Below Deck Med. She told The Daily Dish that attending the charter with Jason was a “once-in-a-lifetime experience,” and she never saw herself being cast on RHOD after Below Deck Med.

Jason instantly hit it off with Chief Stew Hannah during Below Deck Med season 2. They flirted throughout his entire time on the superyacht. Hannah knew it wouldn’t be a good look to hook up with a charter guest, though they undeniably had chemistry. Hannah and Jason did end up sharing a kiss, which was controversial for the Chief Stew at the time. Kary was a guest during one of the most talked-about charters on Below Deck Med.

4

Johnny Damon

Former Major League Baseball Player

Johnny Damon appeared in not just one but two different seasons of Below Deck Med. He served as a primary guest alongside his wife, Michelle Damon, during Below Deck Med seasons 4 and 5. The former Major League basketball player was very particular about his food during his two charter trips. During season 4, he sent back Chef Anastasia Surmava’s food and claimed the experience wasn’t “five stars” on The Daily Dish podcast. Johnny also thought he and the rest of his guests would be spotlighted more instead of the crew after his first appearance.

“We kept expecting the camera to be in our face, and it wasn’t.”

Even though their first charter wasn’t a home run, Johnny and Michelle returned for another charter for Below Deck Med season 5. During their second stint as guests on the show, their group feuded much more. One of their guests, Shanna, claimed Michelle had Spanx on, which upset her. In response to Shanna’s claims, Michelle showed everyone she didn’t have Spanx on by exposing her backside. “Clearly I don’t need a Spanx. Duh,” she said. Johnny told his wife it would’ve been fine if she had been wearing Spanx and the beef was squashed.

3

Jemele Hill

American Sports Journalist

American sports journalist Jemele Hill is no stranger to the show, appearing as a charter guest during Below Deck Med season 6 and Below Deck season 7. She celebrated her bachelorette party during Below Deck season 7 and wasn’t on the best terms with Chief Stew Kate after meeting for the first time. However, Jemele and Kate bounced back and ended up getting along great. After Jemele’s episode aired, Kate revealed on X that Jemele and her party were her “favorite charter guests of all time.”

After the great experience, she returned for Below Deck Med season 7 alongside her husband, Ian Wallace. They booked the charter in celebration of their first wedding anniversary, and was the final trip of the charter season for the rest of the crew. She noticed an immediate shift in the crew’s energy compared to her time on Below Deck season 7. While Captain Sandy Yawn’s interior team was down one stew, Jemele was still impressed by the crew’s ability to persist forward in times of uncertainty.

2

Whitney Thompson

America’s Next Top Model Winner

Whitney Thompson was a charter guest during the first season of Below Deck Sailing Yacht. The series was not her first time on reality TV as Whitney was the winner of Cycle 10 of America’s Next Top Model. Her win was historical as she was the first plus-sized model to win a competitive modeling show. On Below Deck Sailing Yacht, Whitney was a great guest, but Chef Adam Glick complained about her requests for vegan food. “We did not make the crew’s life easy,” Whitney wrote in a caption of a picture of her aboard the Parsifal III on Instagram.

1

Jill Zarin

Former The Real Housewives Of New York City Star

Jill Zarin was one of the most difficult charter guests for the crew of Below Deck season 11. She was not the primary guest but made many demands of the crew. It felt like Jill was testing Chief Stew Fraser and his team at times. From food selections to toiletries in the guest’s rooms, if Jill’s standards weren’t being met, she let Fraser know. Her charter was one of the most grueling of Below Deck season 11, and the crew was overjoyed when she left St. David.

There have been several notable names as charter guests across the Below Deck franchise. Bravo takes advantage of its pool of talent and often features former stars to appear on the yachting series. However, there have been plenty of other celebrities not affiliated with Bravo who’ve charted superyachts on Below Deck, and they’ve all been pretty memorable guests.

Sources: E! News, The Daily Dish, The Daily Dish, The Daily Dish, Kate Chastain/X, Whitney Thompson/Instagram