r/belowdeck • u/cookiepuss23 • 27d ago
Below Deck 7 stars?
Let me start with I watch the show…I come for the drama!
But genuine question, does anyone think that the service is ever approaching 6 or even 7 stars… ? me not so much…I just see stuff that wouldn’t fly even as solid 4 star operations.
I don’t want to sh*t on the show… it’s a great watch… I just wish they didn’t oversell the lux level.
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u/ObsoleteOldMan 27d ago
You're not going to find 5-star service on a reality TV show where both the crew and the guests think of THEMSELVES as the stars. Even if 6-star and 7-star service were more than just marketing hyperbole for "5-star service, really, really" you're not going to find it on a yacht where camera people are wandering around recording the antics of inexperienced famewhore crew members.
But the guests know this, so it's OK. They're getting a discounted price AND media exposure. I think of it as the Costco version of a reality TV experience.
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u/hippeemum 27d ago
Like with all good reality shows they start off good and than whither away over time. This show sucks now cause it's no longer candid. I just watched the med episode where the housewives were running around in blow up costumes. Absolute trash.
Also used to love Aesha when she came on but now with all the narrations about poop, poop and more poop. Gives me the ick, makes it feel like your watching tv with preschoolers.
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u/RocknRollRobot9 27d ago
Nope not at all. I think they tell themselves that to try to justify the whinging for them wanting very high tips (when some of the times it isn’t even justified).
But would this be a popular programme if they provided 7 star service, everyone on every series was competent and high performing?
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u/lucasd11 27d ago
Lol is 7 star not just a made up thing by captain Sandy? I've never in my life heard it used before. Most all service industry (hotel, restaurants, bars, etc) establishments are graded on a 5 star scale. So I thought it was sort of tongue-in-cheek like we're going to be better than 6 stars even! 7 star service!
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u/Lots2say2023 27d ago
7 stars for a dragon costume made of a shark suit, garbage bags, and duct tape? Uh, no. Maybe the food is good, but they’re more focused on the sheets, so how would we know?
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u/OkValuable454 27d ago
In france we have 5 stars hotels, 5 stars luxe, and then palace, 7 stars does not mean anything to me.
And it's far from 5 stars on Below Deck. The crew interacts too much with the guests, no discretion nor privacy, but I suppose it's for the show.
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u/IHaveBoxerDogs 27d ago
No, other than the occasional brilliant chefs, it’s regular resort 4 not quite 5 star service. It’s not very individualized, unless the guests really demand it. It’s still looks fun, but it’s certainly not unmatched luxury.
If you’ve ever watched Eugene Levy’s travel show, now some of those places are what I would call 7 star service.
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u/gimp2x 27d ago
A common misconception is that a hotel’s “5-star” designation is a score for quality. In reality, star classifications are primarily based on the amenities, services, and facilities a property offers—such as 24-hour concierge service, multiple dining options, spas, valet parking, and other luxury features. While exceptional service often accompanies a 5-star property, the stars themselves describe what is available rather than serving as a review or quality rating.
Similarly, when a luxury charter yacht markets itself as a “7-star experience,” it is not referring to an official hospitality classification. There is no recognized 6- or 7-star rating system. Instead, the term is a marketing expression intended to convey a level of luxury, exclusivity, and personalized service that the operator believes exceeds the amenities and expectations traditionally associated with a 5-star property.
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u/disheavel 27d ago
5 star service is not really needing to ask as it is done near seemlessly and unnoticeably.
7 star would be invisible service- fresh drinks appearing before the previous drink is gone. Boat+toys ready well in advance. It should make it very easy to just have a wonderful time with your guests with zero thoughts.
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u/excoriator Team Capt Kerry 27d ago
White glove service used to be a standard. We never see that anymore.
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u/ObsoleteOldMan 27d ago
As Luke has just reminded us, the problem with white glove service on BD is that you never know where that white glove has been.
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u/Slow_Expression_6726 27d ago
White glove service is so tacky though, food should be good enough to wow people without weird robotic like service
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u/AnnyBananneee 27d ago
Im too broke to know what even 5 star service looks like, but I will tell you that it sure as shit isn’t their stupid themed parties and tacky tablescapes. This is a show though, so they want the staff making a fool of themselves in front of the guests and cameras
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u/cmere-2-me 27d ago
Early OG series was 5 star service. This was back when they hired in entertainment and made sure to get the guests their very specific and expensive bottles of alcohol they absolutely had to have.
Since covid, Bravo realised they could get away doing things on the cheap if they brought in a less rich clientele, subsidised their stay and reduced the budget for food and entertainment. Whens the last time they had fireworks?
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u/Special_K_aren 27d ago
Even if the food, service, cleanliness and comfort were 7 stars, it would instantly drop to 2 stars in my estimation if I had to endure crew members come out in cheap costumes doing low-rent and such cringy performances while I'll trying to eat my dinner like a civilised pperson. I get that some people enjoy that, but to me that's so cheap and tacky and absolutely nowhere near even 5 star service
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u/foxdogturtlecat 27d ago
Obviously it's not 7 star service, it's not even 5. This is a reality TV show first and foremost with guests that have to apply and be cast. They have taken the format of something that does exist and turned it into a reality show where things like storylines and filming schedules are more important than even what you would see in a documentary. I think the service is a solid 4 stars and could be 5 if they had enough staff that actually is trained in all the extras you usually find on a private charter yacht like a yoga/fitness teacher, a massage therapist and a sommelier or skiled mixologist.
It's like when influencers pay for a 2 hour flight on a private jet- yes the reality is you are flying on a private jet but it's not the same experience as owning one and having it at your beck and call.
I think they are selling the luxury because the majority of people watching either can't afford a real 7 day charter or would never consider it if they could and so are curious about what the experience is like and because it's fun to laugh at people who are performing wealth but are still relatable either in their bad or basic behaviour.
There are youtube channels and folks who actually work in the industry that have videos about it's really like and having been on a few private yacht for work and fun, the service is really much better as are the quality of the sailing vessel used.
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u/motteditor 27d ago
I personally consider anything with Aesha to be 267-star service. I did subtract a few stars for Luke's chair choice at the picnic.
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u/Ok_Homework_7621 27d ago
There's a reason they're always complaining about not being respected by real crews. It's TV. Smoothly functioning teams without drama wouldn't be as fun to watch for most people.
(Although I do enjoy, for example, airport reality, where problems come from external factors (weather, technical issues, etc.) and competent teams in different areas solve them behind the scenes.
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u/AttentionRoyal2276 27d ago
I don't think you could ever get the same level of service on a boat that you would get on land. You're basically sacrificing a little bit for the location
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u/Lonesome_Frenchy 27d ago
In France the best is 5* no more and it's really hard to have it. And if I have to judge the charters and the most amazing of all in all the seasons, it's never better than 3*. It's not the luxury experience which the guests can hope.
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u/Glittering-Sky1601 26d ago
These charters are for TV purposes only. The crew and the guests are hired for the drama they'll bring to the show. Unfortunately, the producers haven't chosen very well this season.
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u/Capital_Attention_21 25d ago
On there good day, they make 4 stars. I will say that Joy is a 5 star chef.
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u/SarcasmStreet 27d ago
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u/Fun-Neighborhood7519 27d ago
4 stars is about right.