Below Deck is back for Season 13, but before you dive into the new season, anchor yourself to your screen and learn more about how to watch Below Deck as a beginner.
How to Watch
Below Deck premieres on Monday, October 12 at 8 p.m. EST/PST on Bravo. Episodes stream next day on Peacock.
This time around, Captain Kerry Titheradge is embarking on a charter season in Thailand with his Season 13 crew comprised of returning Chief Stew Fraser Olender, second stew Rainbeau de Roos, and new crew members Chef Moe Vilomar, Alex Wright, James Bishop, Matthew Fitzpatrick-Buck, Jessenia Stidger, Kaylee Brown, and Rosa Simms-Preston. Together, they will navigate the Gulf of Thailand as they encounter wild new charter guests and deal with their interpersonal relationships on the Azul V.
In honor of the new season, keep reading to learn more about how to watch Below Deck as a beginner.
What season of Below Deck should you start with?
It’s important to start at the beginning of Below Deck to see its evolution over the past 13 years.
After all, Below Deck Season 1 introduced viewers to the concept of the show, documenting the “young and single crew” as they “live, love, and work aboard a luxurious yacht while attempting to meet demanding clients’ ever-changing needs.”
This set the groundwork for the dozen seasons to come, introducing viewers to different personalities, romances between the crew members, and gorgeous locations.
Who was on the Below Deck Season 1 cast?
The first Below Deck yacht, Honor, was steered by Captain Lee Rosbach, who continued to be at the helm of the franchise for 11 seasons.
Captain Lee was joined by Chief Stew Adrienne Gang, Chef Ben Robinson, Aleks Taldykin, C.J. LeBeau, Kat Held, Samantha Orme, David Bradberry, and Eddie Lucas.
When was Below Deck Season 1 filmed?
Below Deck Season 1 was filmed in 2011.
When did Captain Lee Rosbach leave Below Deck?
RELATED: See a Complete List of All the Below Deck Captains Over the Years
When did Captain Kerry Titheradge join Below Deck?
When did Fraser Olender join Below Deck?
When did Rainbeau de Roos join Below Deck?
What other Below Deck franchises are there?
RELATED: The Below Deck Captains Reveal Their Most and Least Favorite Crew Members
A timeline of Below Deck Seasons 1 through 13
Below Deck Season 1
- Took place in Sint Maarten
- Filmed in 2011
- Premiered on July 1, 2013
- Concluded with a Crew Tell-All episode which aired on Sept. 9, 2013
In the first-ever season of Below Deck, viewers were introduced to Captain Lee and his crew as they yachted around the Caribbean. Viewers were also introduced to Chef Ben for the very first time, a powerhouse in the kitchen with a delightful British accent, who would become a frequent crew member on Below Deck, Below Deck Med, and Below Deck Down Under. Longtime Below Deck cast member Eddie also made his first appearance in the franchise during Season 1.
Below Deck Season 2
- Took place in the British Virgin Islands
- Filmed in 2013
- Premiered on Aug. 12, 2014
- Concluded with the Below Deck Season 2 reunion, which aired on Nov. 4, 2014
Below Deck Season 2 introduced viewers to long time Chief Stew Kate Chastain, an experienced yachtie with a fierce personality who would make frequent Bravo appearances to come. Below Deck Season 2 also featured the first-ever brother-sister duo to work a charter together, as well as the return of Ben, Eddie, and Kat.
Below Deck Season 3
- Took place in the Bahamas
- Filmed in January 2015
- Premiered on Aug. 25, 2015
- Concluded with Part 2 of a two-part reunion, which aired on Dec. 1, 2015
Kate returned for Below Deck Season 3, along with Eddie and Amy Johnson. While Ben didn’t start out as chef for the season, he was called in to serve for the final three episodes after a surprise firing of the original chef. This season also introduced viewers to the eccentric stew, Racquel “Rocky” Dakota, who made a memorable dive off the yacht when Captain Lee fired her “best friend,” and was secretly hooking up with Eddie during the charter season.
Below Deck Season 4
- Took place in U.S. Virgin Islands
- Filmed in 2016
- Premiered on Sept. 6, 2016
- Concluded with Below Deck Season 4, Episode 14, which aired on Dec. 6, 2016
The dynamic duo of Kate and Ben was back again when Below Deck Season 4 docked in the Virgin Islands. But things got tough for bosun Kelley Johnson who was seeking “redemption” after working as a second engineer on Below Deck Season 2. Elsewhere this season, Kelley pondered getting involved with a charter guest while Kate had some major relationship news at the beginning of the season.
RELATED: Kate Chastain Is Still Proud of Her Below Deck Blanket Fold: “Favorite Thing I’ve Ever Done”
Below Deck Season 5
- Took place in Sint Maarten
- Filmed in 2017
- Premiered on Sept. 15, 2017
- Concluded with a reunion episode, which aired on Dec. 12, 2017
Most of Below Deck Season 5’s drama revolved around returning deckhand Nico Scholly, who repeatedly clashed with bosun EJ Jansen and started the charter season with a girlfriend back at home before ending things to explore a relationship with stew Brianna Adekeye.
Below Deck Season 6
- Took place in Tahiti
- Filmed in early 2018
- Premiered on Oct. 2, 2018
- Concluded with a reunion episode, which aired on Feb. 5, 2019
Below Deck Season 6 featured some firsts for the series, including the first male stew, Josiah Carter. This season also had a traumatic accident when deckhand Ashton Pienaar got dragged overboard and had to be rescued by a camera operator.
RELATED: Where Is Below Deck Filmed? See Every Location in the Series History
Below Deck Season 7
- Took place in Thailand
- Filmed in 2019
- Premiered on Oct. 7, 2019
- Concluded with Part 2 of a two-part reunion, which aired on Feb. 17, 2020
Following his dramatic rescue, Ashton got promoted to bosun during Below Deck Season 7. Captain Lee, meanwhile, experienced a major first because he didn’t fire anyone during the charter season. However, things got testy when Kate made the decision to temporarily quit as she wasn’t getting along with the rest of the crew.
Below Deck Season 8
- Took place in Antigua
- Filmed in early 2020
- Premiered on Nov. 2, 2020
- Concluded with a virtual reunion episode, which aired on Feb. 22, 2021
Below Deck Season 8 marked the first season without Kate after she announced her departure at the end of Season 7. Regardless of her absence, Eddie made his triumphant return after his Season 3 exit, while Captain Lee suffered a rib injury. This season was ultimately cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the final two charter groups canceled.
Below Deck Season 9
- Filmed in St. Kitts
- Filmed during 2021
- Premiered on Oct. 25, 2021
- Concluded with a virtual reunion episode, which aired on Feb. 7, 2022
This season marked the return of Eddie and Chef Rachel Hargrove, who really impressed Captain Lee with her food. But Below Deck Season 9 also saw Captain Sean Meagher temporarily step in after Captain Lee was delayed on land.
Below Deck Season 10
Captain Lee had to temporarily step away during his 10th and final season of the show, leaving Below Deck Med‘s Captain Sandy Yawn to step in for a few episodes. This season saw Fraser step into the role as Chief Stew and own it, while deckhand Ben Willoughby’s romance with stew Camille Lamb got some serious attention from the crew throughout the season.
RELATED: Who Are The Below Deck Chief Stews? Revisit the Chief Stew From The Bravo Series
Below Deck Season 11
- Took place in Grenada
- Filmed in 2023
- Premiered on Feb. 5, 2024
- Concluded with the Below Deck Season 11 finale, which aired on May 27, 2024
In Captain Kerry’s first season as Below Deck captain, he had to make some tough decisions to fire several crew members after the crew faced issues with their charter guests and received some low tips. In his second season of working as chief stew, Fraser faced some major issues with stew Barbara “Barbie” Pascual.
Below Deck Season 12
- Took place in St. Maarten
- Filmed in 2024
- Premiered on June 2, 2025
- Concluded with the Below Deck Season 12 finale, which aired on Sept. 15, 2025
Below Deck Season 12 was filled with nothing but excitement as crew members engaged in some serious hookups and love triangles with one another, resulting in several messy breakups. The crew members also had to deal with an “extremely drunk” charter guest named Kelly this season, as Captain Kerry took care of her.
See what Captain Kerry and Fraser had to tease about Below Deck Season 13.
