How long is the below deck charter season

Want to know how much it would cost to charter one of the luxury superyachts featured on US hit TV series Below Deck? With season seven of Below Deck Mediterranean set to air on July 11, 2022, we take a look inside Below Deck’s famous superyachts that you can charter for yourself, and find out what they have to offer charter guests on board.

Home

The star of Below Deck Mediterranean season seven, 49.8 metre Home is the first “green” superyacht to appear on the show. Featuring a ground-breaking combination of a super-efficient Fast Displacement Hull Form by Van Oossanen Naval Architects with power provided by a hybrid propulsion system, Home boasts reduced emissions and fuel costs for the eco-conscious charter guest.

Defined by a distinctive vertical bow and large expanses of glass, Home was penned by Omega Architects and launched by Heesen in 2017. Her interiors, designed by Cristiano Gatto in a modern “Ibiza style”, can accommodate up to 12 guests in six cabins including a full-beam master cabin with a dedicated dressing room and a private office. There is also room for nine members of Below Deck crew on board, including Captain Sandy who has returned to the helm for the seventh season while Home is cruising the coasts of Malta.

The main socialising spot is up on the sundeck, complete with a Jacuzzi and sit-up bar, a shaded lounge and protection from the elements provided by glass screens. Closer to the water, a beach club with an air-conditioned gym is situated next to the swimming platform from which guests can launch the water toys including SeaBobs, Hoverboards, E-foils, Jet Skis and a Flyboard. Home also carries gear for scuba diving, waterskiing and wakesurfing for guests to make the most of their time on board.

Charter cost: Home is managed for charter by Burgess with a weekly charter rate starting from $245,000.

Read More/Home: Heesen Yachts’ 50m window on the world

My Seanna

Below Deck season six, eight and nine

Sailing under her own name around the South Pacific islands of French Polynesia on Below Deck’s sixth series, the 56.4 metre My Seanna (now Starship) was built by Delta Marine in 2000 and refitted in 2014. The Glade-Johnson designed superyacht reappeared again for season eight, where she was filmed cruising in Antigua. She is now starring in the latest season of the show, season nine, following her recent sale.

Key features include an open air Jacuzzi surrounded by an al fresco drinks bar, a gym, a sauna room, a helipad and a spacious beach club complete with a lounge, flatscreen TV and a small galley for preparing snacks or drinks. Her opulent interiors can accommodate up to 12 guests and 11 crew and even offer a home cinema and piano for entertaining in the main saloon. There are multiple toys carried on board as well, including gear for diving and spearfishing, Seabobs and equipment for underwater filming.

“The thing that I really love about My Seanna is the spacious cabins” says Worth Avenue retail charter broker, Shannon McCoy, who has appeared on episodes of Below Deck. She describes My Seanna as a “well-appointed yacht with a good collection of toys for the guests to enjoy,” offering an excellent layout with a variety of spaces that allows charterers “to have breakfast in a different place every morning or enjoy dinner whether it's outside under the sun or in the formal dining area.”

Charter cost:Starship is managed for charter by Worldwide Boat with a weekly charter rate starting from $260,000.

Read More/Below Deck season nine: Everything you need to know about the superyacht charter show

The Wellington

Below Deck Mediterranean season five

Actually named The Wellesley, this 56.2 metre Oceanco superyacht is owned by property magnate and hotelier Khalid Affara and named after his luxury art deco hotel in London. Delivered in 1993, The Wellesley features extended deck spaces and Donald Starkey-penned interiors that replicate the grandeur of the eponymous Knightsbridge hotel. Highlights on board include a waterfall jacuzzi, an outdoor cinema for movies under the stars and a unique private club-style lounge complete with a Winston Churchill inspired cigar room. 

Describing why she makes an excellent charter yacht, James Graham-Cloete, director of charter management from TWW Yachts, says that The Wellesley is “ideal for entertaining family and friends, or hosting corporate events in utter privacy,” thanks to the fact that she “boasts some of the largest open deck spaces of any 56 metre on the water.” Graham-Cloete also adds that, on The Wellesley, “guests are invited to experience the same exceptional personal service, fine dining and attention to detail that has become synonymous with the hotel, on board a private superyacht,” while being looking after by her 14 crew members. “The crew have one of the lowest turnover rates in the industry and one of the best charter records, along with a full-time masseuse on board- making her the ultimate charter yacht!” says Graham-Cloete.

Charter cost: The Wellesley is managed by TWW Yachts with a weekly charter rate starting from €230,000.

Read More/Below Deck Mediterranean: Inside The Wellington superyacht now for sale

Talisman Maiton

Below Deck Mediterranean season three

Built in 2006 by Turquoise Yachts, with a refit in 2012, the 54.2 metre Talisman Maiton sailed the coasts of Italy in the third series of Below Deck Mediterranean and was also captained by Sandy Yawn. Key features include a generous open plan sun deck with a forward-facing Jacuzzi and bar, al fresco dining spaces and a gym. Inside, she features six individually styled cabins for her 12 guests – including a master suite with its own private office – complemented by a sumptuous interior inspired by a combination of Asian and Art Deco influences. Her toy box is filled with snorkelling and fishing gear, Jet Skis and more for guests to enjoy while on board.

Charter cost: Talisman Maiton is managed by Burgess with a weekly charter rate starting from €273,000.

Read More/Charter Champion: Captain Rob Smith of 54.2 metre Talisman Maiton

Sirocco

Below Deck Mediterranean season two and four

The 47 metre Heesen-built superyacht Sirocco took centre stage in both the second and fourth series of Below Deck Mediterranean and introduced captain Sandy Yawn, who has become a returning cast member on the show. Launched in 2006 with a refit in 2013, Sirocco features a dark blue hull and was designed inside and out by Omega Architects. She accommodates up to 12 guests and nine crew and offers charterers an eight person Jacuzzi, a gym, plenty of al fresco entertainment areas and a well-stocked toy box comprising Jet Skis, a waterslide and gear for wakeboarding or waterskiing. Worth Avenue retail charter broker Shannon McCoy describes Sirocco as a “very, very popular charter yacht” and with her fleet of water toys and pedigree Heesen design, provides “an excellent platform for a great time at sea.”

Charter cost:Sirocco is managed for charter by Titan Fleet with a weekly charter rate starting from €195,000.

Read More/Behind the scenes: Captain Sandy Yawn on the reality of filming Below Deck Mediterranean

Ionian Princess

Below Deck Mediterranean season one

Appropriately named for the first season of Below Deck Mediterranean, which was set in Greece, the 45.7 metre Christensen-built yacht was captained by Mark Howard during filming. Launched in 2005 and last refitted in 2016, Ionian Princess features a luxurious Greek-style inspired interior finished with high-gloss sapelle mahogany joinery and custom in-laid stonework throughout. Ionian Princess can host up to 12 guests in six cabins, including two master cabins, and also boasts plentiful dining options and a sundeck equipped with a hot tub and sunpads. She also comes with a fleet of water toys from waterskiing and wakeboarding kit to Jet Skis and kayaks. Thanks to her shallow draft, she can also access hard-to-reach hidden gems in the Mediterranean Sea that other larger yachts aren’t able to. “Ionian Princess is ideally suited for cruising the Mediterranean, which is the most sought-after region for summer yacht charters,” says her management team at charter brokers Northrop & Johnson.

Charter cost: Ionian Princess is managed by Northrop & Johnson with a weekly charter rate starting from €225,000.

Read More/Below Deck secrets: The reality series that went from hard sell to selling charters

Valor

Below Deck season four, five and seven

This 46.88 metre Feadship yacht has so far starred in three seasons of Below Deck, filmed while cruising in the warm-weather destinations of the US Virgin Islands, Saint Martin and Thailand. Featured under the name Valor, she is actually called BGand is owned by Canadian entrepreneur Bobby Genovese. Delivered in 1990 to a design by Frits De Voogt, BG can accommodate 12 guests and 11 crew members. On board highlights include her deck hot tub, on board gym and al fresco dining spaces. She also carries an extensive fleet of toys from Jet Skis and wakeboards to a climbing wall and inflatable slide. In 2021, BG emerged from an extensive, multi-million dollar refit, with her owner detailing that “everything that could have been done to the boat, has been done”, from tech upgrades and new toys to a fresh lick of paint on her hull. “I love that boat, and the more boats I go on, the more I like my boat,” says Genovese.

Charter cost: BG is available to charter privately, POA.

Read More/On board with serial superyacht owner Bobby Genovese

Eros

Below Deck season three

Appearing under an alias, Eros –named after the Greek god of love - was actually called Mustang Sally during season three, which was filmed in the pristine waters of The Bahamas. Since airing in 2015, the 49.07 metre superyacht has been renamed Stay Salty. Built by Trinity Yachts in 2008 to a design by Geoff Van Aller, Stay Salty accommodates a total of 12 guests and 10 crew members on board. Inside, highlights include the split-level master with a private study and panoramic views, as well as a formal dining area and skylounge with a drinks bar. Above deck, viewers would have seen guests enjoying themselves in the hot tub and al fresco dining and lounge areas. Toys carried on board that charter guests made full use of during the show include Jet Skis, fishing equipment and a beach picnic set up. Powered by twin caterpillar engines, Stay Salty can reach a top speed of up to 20 knots.

Charter cost: Stay Salty is not currently available for charter, but in 2020 was sold by Denison Yachting with an asking price of $12,900,000.

Read More/How Captain Lee became TV’s favourite yacht captain

How long is charter season?

Yacht charter seasons explained Winter/summer seasons each last around six months and refer to both location and time of the year; summer yacht charter season spans from around April/May through October, while the winter season starts in November and runs through April.

How many charters does Below Deck do in a season?

The filming schedule of a typical season of Below Deck is hectic. The intense schedule squeezes nine charters into a filming period of eight weeks. A total of 30 people, comprising yacht crew, guests and camera crew, can be on the boat at any one time.

How much is a 3 day charter on Below Deck sailing yacht?

That and some are nervous being filmed. Drinking copious amounts of alcohol only help! Prospective charter guests are also offered the option of three nights, four days aboard the superyacht for $45,000. You are also expected to provide the tip money for the yacht crew (yes it's real).