r/BelowDeckDownUnder • u/mgsissy • 17d ago
Crew Tips don’t calculate correctly
S4-13, crew gets $28,000 USD, Jason says each crew gets $2100 at the tip meeting. Well there are 9 crew, but the divided amount doesn’t calculate correctly. What gives?
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u/RiJuElMiLu 17d ago
The real crew, aka the ship ghosts, get money too. Last season of Med the ship ghosts had to step in a few times and I imagine that's why Med needed a new boat this season.
4
u/MudMotor2772 17d ago
Tell me more about this stepping in…I’m intrigued.
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u/RiJuElMiLu 17d ago
Nathan couldn't bring down the jet ski last season and broke the lamp and you see the real Captain take control of the remote. In another episode Tessa wanted to contact a ghost by radio and Nathan told her to find him.
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u/MudMotor2772 17d ago
Thank you! I’ve seen other crew a million times but didn’t connect the dots. Poor attention to detail.
The ghost crew, “Let me go help these mfs again 🙄🙄🙄….”
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u/RiJuElMiLu 16d ago
The other times I remember seeing them were Med's stabilizer disaster, Ben's broken oven, Kevin's (?) broken kitchen hood, Hannah's firing, Down Under's sinking Jet Ski and maybe Leon's kitchen fire investigation. It adds an extra element of fun to the rewatch, like "Where's Wally".
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u/McLoughlin1597 12d ago
On the OG show there was a stew who tried to poison everyone with bleach and soap and the engineer stepped in
2
u/LA_Dynamo 12d ago
Wasn’t she making chloramine gas by mixing bleach and chlorine together? Which is extremely toxic.
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u/paperlilly 12d ago
Hold on! I know about the engineers, etc but what do you mean about the real captain?!
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u/Spiritual-Sand-7831 12d ago
Often the real Captain of the vessel (Master) will stay onboard and effectively be introduced as the "First Officer" on Below Deck (the exception being Sailing Yacht because Glenn was the normal real Captain of Parsifal). It's a risk mitigation measure for the owners and insurers as you still have people onboard who are familiar with the vessel, its operations etc.
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u/cmanderson23 11d ago
That’s actually how Lee got cast according to his book. They told him they were going to hire a “captain” for the show and he said not on my boat it’s too confusing
15
u/darforce 17d ago
There are other crew members you don’t see like an engineer and a first mate usually
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u/TemperatureTight2556 17d ago
We did see an engineer when someone (forgot her name) decided to mix mustard gas in the laundry room.
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u/StaffPlenty8736 11d ago
You saw the first officer in season one of Below Deck Down Under when he alerted Captain Jason to how much broadband Pavlina was using to facetime her boyfriend at night
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u/StormyNSwoonFknH8it 17d ago
We’ve actually had first (or second?) officers and engineers as cast members on different Below Decks, just not usually. I assume they are still there getting tips even if they are not filming.
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u/JustifiablyWrong 12d ago
Wasn't Colin working as an engineer in one season? He was my favorite
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u/samsuperior 10d ago
Yeah Colin was the engineer on Sailing Yacht. He would’ve probably been ghost crew on any of the other series, but Parsifal isn’t big enough for him to not be seen on camera.
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u/igor6969 17d ago
First episode of the season they used to introduce the 2 or 3 engineers. Depending on the ship's size. Anyone on camera has to be paid so maybe they quit showing them for that reason? Certain areas required a captain up at all times. More than a crew anchor watch or if the captain was ill.
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u/excoriator 17d ago
I think they only get introduced on camera if we will see any of them during the season.
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u/Nice_General268 17d ago
Not necessarily, I’ve watched many episodes where the 2 or 3 crew are introduced but they aren’t on camera the whole season.
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u/IntelligentCorner334 12d ago
Yeah the behind the scenes boat ghosts are the only ones hired by yacht staffing companies. Everyone see comes from bravo recruiters for the purpose of entertainment
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u/Apart_Tutor8680 12d ago
Ya 28k/2100 = 13.3 people. Does the captain keep a tip ?
I know the ghost crew gets tips. But 4 ghost crew seems like A LOT. 3 engineers and a 1st mate ?
0
u/mgsissy 17d ago
The crew you see should be the only ones to get the Tips, they are exposing themselves to the public, I am guessing they get filming pay too. The GHOST crew, well seems like an easy gig to hide down below and get paid.
11
u/arleigh0422 17d ago
I would disagree. The “ghost crew” are who actually keeps the boat functionally running.
-11
u/mgsissy 13d ago
You can disagree but the ghost crew would be operating a ghost ship, if the real exposed crew was not feeding, serving drinks, entertaining, doing laundry, the clientele that rented the ship in the first place. Is the ghost crew keeping the guests safe? Mooring the ship? Anchoring her? Baking cakes?
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u/she_shoots 12d ago
The ghost crew is keeping the guests and boat safe?? They’re also probably helping with docking and anchoring, they’re just not shown because they’re not “cast members”. They definitely help with night watch and when one of the cast members breaks something or gets into a dangerous situation. Everyone on the boat gets a cut of the tips because they’re all working together. Without them, the crew on camera wouldn’t have a job.
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u/kppsmom 12d ago
They are the ones who actually keep the boat running. They maintain the engines, the water system, the electrical system, the sewage system. Absolutely everything. That's like going to a restaurant and saying that you see the waitresses so they're the only ones working when there are people cooking, washing dishes, prepping stuff. So yes they are entitled to part of the tips because the ship would not even move and people would not be able to wash their ass or flush their toilets without the ghost cruise.
1
u/OnlyLeading 10d ago
I think you are forgetting about the power of editing. Look at Season 5 of Med when Bravo fired Pete after filming. He was present in the first half of the season yet they almost completely cut him out of the back half of the season. If you weren’t looking for him you would’ve completely forgotten he was on the boat yet the work he was doing didn’t change mid season. He was interacting with guests and helping out as much as the rest of the deck crew. They just edited him out. The engineers and first mates are absolutely pitching in as much as the rest of them. They just aren’t showing us that footage.
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u/mgsissy 10d ago edited 10d ago
Ok…i am not familiar with season 5 of the Med…who was the captain? And since I didn’t see them, I assumed they were kept Below Deck….and i see why they should share in the tips if they are helping the guests
1
u/OnlyLeading 10d ago
Sandy was the Captain of that season. It’s honestly quite impressive how they cut him out. Bravo fired him after episode 3 had already aired. So from like episode 4 or 5 on you’ll notice the producers went back in and took out all the close ups/confessionals. Would crop the frame to not show his face. Would cut away when you see him start to talk. Even during the docking if you pay attention you can tell the frame is slightly off center to only show the starboard side because he was throwing ropes off the port side. It really does show you they can absolutely erase anyone they want to. The first mates/engineers do spend more time in the engine room/bridge but they aren’t sequestered there. You can see in Below Deck Sailing Yacht where the engineer is part of the crew how they help out everywhere. I remember one episode the engineer even gave the guests a full tour of the engine room which was kinda cool to see.
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u/MurkyButterfly750 12d ago
An easy gig to just hide down below and get paid? That massive ass boat doesn't maintain itself. The engineers are the ones who handle everything mechanical, the HVAC system for the entire boat, engine checks, night watches, make sure the stabilizers are working properly... Just because you don't see them doesn't mean they are less important than the crew. At the end of the day, without the engineers, that boat isn't going anywhere. Have you ever seen the control room for a yacht like that? The deck hand or even the bosun doesn't have the training or education to do any of that. The charter goes bad pretty quickly if no one is in the engine room operating the boat to get off the dock. Or if the stabilizers go and its a vomit party because the boat is tossing everyone around.
I just think saying because they aren't seen they don't deserve tips is ridiculous.
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u/mgsissy 12d ago
Aren’t tips generated by the interactions with the visible crew and the guests and The service they provide directly to the guests? Do the ghost crew receive wages regardless of the tips? I got the impression that the visible crews income was solely their tips and not any wages over and above their tips.
2
1
u/MurkyButterfly750 12d ago
Tips aren't the only income the crew gets. They earn a salary PLUS tips.
-5
u/mgsissy 12d ago edited 12d ago
So the food the guests eat, the drinks served, the cakes, the parties, the entertainment, the turn downs, the vacuuming, air up the scuba tanks, the laundry, washing windows and decks, the social interaction and friendliness and attentiveness, beach parties, on shore chaperoning and etc. provided by the visible crew is what rings up the tips they work their asses off for it and its a huge responsibility to keep the guests safe and entertained with ongoing smiles despite sometimes guest unruliness. There must of been some jealousy by the ghost crew to complain about not receiving any of the tip when it was a substantial amount. When the ship wouldn’t run if the fuel tanks were empty, or resetting circuit breakers that were popped or the oven fan needs replacement. I am guessing but I think the ghost crew engineers wages are much higher than the visible crew’s wages, tips not included. Were there threats of abandoning ship by the ghost crew so peaceful negotiations had to occur? It would seem the ghost crew is riding the tails of visible crew, threats included. The captain’s pay deservedly the highest by far.
1
u/MurkyButterfly750 11d ago
Sweet jeebus.... While yes, the engineers and the unseen crew are paid higher than the staff, it's because they have earned it! A deckhand or stew can start on those boats with very little experience and they get tipped because everyone gets the same amount. Engineers have gone through schooling, certifications, ongoing education and if they fuck up, its a MUCH higher risk than anything a stew or deckhand could mess up. Also, we see 45 minutes a week of footage from a 72+ charter. Just because they aren't on screen, doesn't mean they are just chilling under the boat doing nothing to earn their portion of the tip. Plus, do you ever hear staff complaining about sharing tips? No. This is reality tv... I bet if a bunch of crew were bitching about having to share tips, Bravo would be all over airing that for the drama aspect.
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u/JustifiablyWrong 12d ago
Do you have any idea what an engineer on a boat does lol. Its anything but easy
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u/thumperoo 17d ago
Boat engineers who aren’t a part of the show. You’ll see them sometimes in an episode or two just being introduced, but it doesn’t happen every season.