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Here's How Below Deck Producers Choose the Location for the Charter Season
Here's what production looks for in a location when deciding where to set sail for the season.
The drama isn't the only thing that never fails to drop our jaws on Below Deck. All of the franchises also stun us with the gorgeous locales the yacht cruises around each season. So, how do the producers decide where in the world to set sail?
The New York Times recently went behind the scenes of the current Season 5 of Below Deck Mediterranean and revealed what producers look for in a "suitable" locale. First of all, the location needs to have easy access to a major airport to fly charter guests in and out. It also needs to have hotel accommodations for the production crew available for the six-week duration of shooting the season. For Below Deck Season 7 in Thailand, every crew member ended up in a mini-villa, the article noted.
Local suppliers also need to be available to continuously deliver provisions and perishables like ice and fresh meat to the yacht throughout the season. And of course, the location has to look beautiful on TV.
Each of the Below Deck franchises has definitely hit that last mark every time. The first five seasons of Below Deck took place in the Caribbean before heading to Tahiti in Season 6 and Thailand in Season 7. Every season of Below Deck Med has featured a different locale: Greece in Season 1, Croatia in Season 2, Italy in Season 3, the South of France in Season 4, and Mallorca, Spain in Season 5. Below Deck Sailing Yacht cruised around Corfu, Greece in Season 1.
As for where Below Deck may be heading in the future, executive producer Courtland Cox told The Daily Dish in January that he hopes the franchise will be back in the Caribbean again one day. “Hopefully, we will be returning to the Caribbean very soon,” he said. “I’m happy to get back there, but also it was great to be able to go away and see different things and see exotic locations and different cultures.”
Want more Below Deck Med? New episodes air every Monday at 9/8c or catch up on this season through the Bravo app.
See what's on the horizon for Season 5's The Wellington crew, below.