When it comes to tips, Below Deck‘s Fraser Olender has a very specific amount in mind that he is expecting from charter guests.
“I can tell you for a tip on our charter season, the minimum I would expect [where] you won’t see me crack a smile,” Fraser shared on the Tuesday, June 10, episode of SiriusXM’s Reality Checked. “If we are not getting between $20,000 — I’ll scrap that. $25,000 to $30,000 for the time we’ve done.”
Fraser wouldn’t budge on that number, adding, “I don’t care if that’s one day or three days or five. I’m waiting for that amount of cash and if you can’t or if you’re not coming with that to be expected, just don’t bother. Maybe just go on a cruise.”
Below Deck, which debuted in 2013 and has spanned several spinoffs, follows the lives of crew members who work and live on super yachts during charter season. The cast earns a salary for working on the boat and shooting the reality series, as well as tips from guests.
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On Tuesday, Fraser was also asked about cast members adjusting to being filmed. The topic of breaking the fourth wall came up after Chef Lawrence Snowden quit as he struggled with the cameras during season 12 of Below Deck.
“I think that you know what you’re getting into. I can assure you that the cameras are not physically in your face,” Fraser clarified. “They’re not intrusive that way.”
Fraser questioned if the cameras were an excuse for Lawrence, adding, “It might potentially be a cop out. I’m not spreading the rumor. I’m just saying it’s an option, guys. If you can’t do the job, you can’t do the job. If you want to blame it on a third party, that’s not something I’ll be doing or anyone else is doing.”
The season 12 premiere, which aired earlier this month, showed Lawrence explaining he was unsure about joining the yacht St. David because of the cameras.
“I was a bit apprehensive about the TV part of the job but I just thought, ‘Just get out of your comfort zone and give it a whirl,’” he said. “It should be fun.”
Lawrence kept breaking the fourth wall, though. “Would you mind not filming while I get this piece of equipment out?” he asked the offscreen cameraman, who did not oblige and kept filming. “Am I not allowed to talk to you? It is going to be a long six weeks, isn’t it?”
A producer subsequently had to step in, saying, “The cameras are here to film the show. Everyone is just doing their job here. I get told, ‘We want to make you succeed.’ It is bollocks. That is a lie.”
Before the season 12 premiere, Fraser weighed in on Lawrence’s difficult adjustment.
“He was a very good chef. He is an amazing chef. It’s hard to forget about the fourth wall,” he exclusively told Us Weekly in May. “It’s a TV show but we are working very, very hard and we don’t get to cut corners.”
Fraser recalled how Lawrence “struggled” with the concept of being filmed. “It’s tough. It’s not for the faint-hearted,” he noted. “I also say a lot, the yachties who work in the real world on yachts can’t do what we do. This is three jobs in one.”
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According to Fraser, most yachties, a.k.a anyone who works on a yacht as a career, have expressed their “hate” for coworkers who go on Below Deck.
“They say that. But they all watch us so I don’t know if it’s a case of jealousy or not. Sorry guys, it’s true. A lot of yachties don’t think it’s real representation,” he explained. “It’s not our fault that you can’t cram every single hour of six weeks into every episode — but it’s the real deal.”
Fraser continued: “We don’t get help. Everything that happens has happened authentically. It is the most authentic reality television that I think I’m aware of and I want people to know that.”
On Tuesday’s podcast episode, Fraser elaborated on his frustrations with Lawrence, saying, “He was a phenomenal chef. I’m not taking that away from him — but I haven’t got time for you to throw a hissy fit within 24 hours of joining this vessel. I have not got the time because guess what? I’m stressed too. I’m crying too. I’m panicking too. I’m also doing the job.”
Below Deck airs on Bravo Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Peacock.
