James Hough and Elizabeth Frankini Reflect on Their Night in the Guest Cabin

Perhaps one of the most hotly-debated moments of Below Deck Season 8 was when Elizabeth Frankini and James Hough decided to spend a night in the totally off-limits guest cabin aboard My Seanna. The deckhand and the stew faced some major backlash for their indiscretion, and got the chance to hash it out with the rest of the crew during the February 22 virtual reunion. 

“Elizabeth and James, how did you think it was okay to hookup in the guest cabin without permission, and then not take any responsibility for the poor work ethic you both showed?” Andy Cohen asked the pair. 

“It was dead simple. I’ve obviously worked in yachts before, I kind of knew something that shouldn’t be done, and we were messaging each other and she said, ‘Should we go into the guest cabin?’” James explained. “I gave warning saying ‘We shouldn’t do this,’ which I did, and that’s me in the clear. If we do get in trouble, we do get in trouble.” 

“We were off charter, we were drinking,” added Elizabeth. “It shouldn’t have happened without the permission.” 

Although the duo both seemed to agree that they shouldn’t have done it, they weren’t able to come to terms on which one of them technically invited the other into the guest cabin, although Elizabeth noted: “I believe James invited me.” 

“Either way, can I just say it takes two to tango?” Ashling Lorger chimed in. “At the end of the day, you both made the decision to go into the guest cabin, which is like, the ultimate no on a super yacht.” 

“I knew we were going to get in trouble, but it was just balancing out the risk and the reward,” said James, who then noted it was “100 percent worth it” when Andy asked if he regretted it, adding that they had a “good time” and “a good nights’ sleep in the guest cabin.” 

Ultimately, Elizabeth was fired from her role as a stewardess as a result, although there also seems to be some disagreement from the entire crew over what actually led to her dismissal. 

In a February 8 tweet, Below Deck alum Kate Chastain shared her two cents on the matter, noting, “I seriously can’t even count how many times I’ve slept in a guest cabin.” 

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For more from Elizabeth on the guest cabin incident, see what she had to say in the Below Deck After Show below. 

Elizabeth Frankini Used a Guest Cabin Without Permission Because She "Lost All Respect" For Francesca Rubi