Setting sail across the seas on a megayacht is a vacation many dream of but only some can achieve. Whether it's in the pristine waters of the Caribbean or the Mediterranean, the experience is only as good as the team onboard makes it. Across the Below Deck franchises, there have been some incredible stews that have gone above and beyond at their job, while also providing some of the best entertainment. We will be focusing on the interior team of ladies, and gentlemen, who rose to the occasion, but also provided some excellent television. This list will not include any of the stews that ultimately got promoted to Chief Stews. We can save them for another time.
Below Deck is the hit Bravo series that watches the crew aboard some of the world's most luxurious yachts cater to the lavish whims of the high rollers. Documenting the work and play of the yachites, Below Deck has launched four spin-off series, making it one of the most successful franchises on the network. The stews working these luxury vessels go above and beyond for their guests. It's time to celebrate the best of the best from across the Below Deck Cinematic Universe.
10 Madison Stalker
'Below Deck Sailing Yacht', Season 1
The first season of Below Deck Sailing Yacht was filled with a lot of learning curves. While the entire cast, sans Captain Glenn Shephard, got sacked following Season 1, there was one stewardess who was competent in a sea of incompetence. Madison Stalker was exceptional at her job.
She tried to stay positive during the season, but she often butted heads with Chief Stew Jenna Macgillivray simply because Jenna was way too obsessed with her relationship with Chef Adam Glick. Despite being the second stew, Jenna treated Madison poorly, causing her to feel miserable on Parsifal III. She didn't let that affect her work. Meanwhile, her stewardess cohort, Georgia Grobler, was so busy trying to win the heart of a taken man that Madison had to pick up her slack as well. Had Below Deck Sailing Yacht not had a disastrous first season, it's likely Madison might have had a chance to continue her tenure on the show.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
TV-14
Reality-TV
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
*Availability in US
- Release Date
- February 3, 2020
- Cast
- Glenn Shephard , Colin Macrae , Gary King , Daisy Kelliher
- Main Genre
- Reality-TV
- Seasons
- 4
- Network
- Bravo
- Franchise(s)
- Below Deck
- Showrunner
- Mark Cronin , Doug Henning , Rebecca Taylor Henning
9 Kat Held
'Below Deck', Seasons 1 and 2
Kat Held is a tale of two stews. As part of the season that kicked off the entire franchise, Kat epitomized the reality television side of Below Deck. She was loud and over-the-top. She knew the cameras were rolling and ensured that she would be a breakout star. She had a boatmance with Chef Ben Robinson. She was constantly at odds with the overly intense Chief Stew Adrienne Gang. She defied the orders of Captain Lee Rosbach, but she emerged as one of the stars from the first season.
She was brought back for Season 2 and everything changed. Not only did she have a better working relationship with the crew, she proved that working on the yacht took president over the reality television portion of the show. She became thick as thieves with Chief Stew Kate Chastain, but in the process, they alienated third stew Amy Johnson. Kat is one of the reasons Below Deck took off. Her redemption story arc was one to celebrate.
Below Deck
TV-14
Reality-TV
- Release Date
- July 1, 2013
- Creator
- Mark Cronin
- Cast
- Lee Rosbach , Kate Chastain , Eddie Lucas , Ben Robinson , Ashton Pienaar
- Main Genre
- Reality-TV
- Seasons
- 11
8 Anastasia Surmava
'Below Deck Mediterranean', Season 4
Oftentimes, crew members on Below Deck are hired for a singular role, but they may produce other skills that prove beneficial for other departments. During Season 4 of Below Deck Mediterranean, Chief Stew Hannah Ferrier had the dream team on the interior. Comprised of second stew Aesha Scott and third stew Anastasia Surmava, it appeared that everything was going to be smooth sailing for Hannah.
That was until Chef Mila Kolomeitseva proved to be an absolute disaster and was fired. With no chef on board, Captain Sandy Yawn called upon Anastasia's culinary skills and background as a yacht to save the day. Anastasia saved the day aboard the motoryacht Sirocco, until Chef Ben Robinson officially arrived to be the chef for the final charters of the season. While Anastasia was cooking, Hannah was temporarily given a new stew, June Foster, who was certainly a downgrade from Anastasia. No matter where Anastasia worked, she was praised. Anastasia's well-rounded skills made her an exceptional asset to the team. Had Anastasia not been placed in the galley, the season would never have provided the infamous "June June" over the radio.
Below Deck Mediterranean
TV-14
Reality-TV
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
*Availability in US
- Release Date
- May 3, 2016
- Cast
- Sandy Yawn , Hannah Ferrier , Malia White , Mzi Dempers , João Franco , Colin Macy-O'Toole , Kyle Viljoen , Christine Drake
- Main Genre
- Reality-TV
- Seasons
- 7
- Creator(s)
- Mark Cronin , Doug Henning , Rebecca Taylor Henning
- Network
- Bravo
- Franchise(s)
- Below Deck
- Showrunner
- Mark Cronin , Courtland Cox , Nadine Rajabi
7 Brianna Adekeye
'Below Deck', Season 5
Sometimes, being great at your job means you're not the best at television. Brianna Adekeye was so great at her job, that viewers may have missed her because she did the job she was hired to do. But it also might have been because she was picking up the slack as Chief Stew Kate Chastain was dealing with the disasters that third stew Jen Howell caused.
Brianna was a free-spirited soul and maintained her composure when Jen tried to throw Brianna under the bus for her failures. No matter how much drama was caused, Brianna rose above it. While she may not have engaged in the drama, she certainly was thrust into situations she didn't want to be in.
6 Kyle Viljeon
'Below Deck Mediterranean', Seasons 7 and 8
Yes, you could easily put Kyle Viljeon on a list as one of Below Deck's biggest villains, but when it comes to best stews, he's up there. He was commendable as a stew. Sure, he did often push the boundaries and cross the line of professionalism, but his two seasons on Below Deck Mediterranean were fire. As a huge personality, the South African riled up the crew, playing into the drama while stirring the pot. As one of the gay stews that have appeared on the show, he launched himself into fan-favorite status with his flirty fling with charter guest Frank Fay.
It's always important to go above and beyond for the guests, so he saved that smooch for after Frank's charter was over following a club night off the boat. During Season 7, Kyle formed a strong bond with fellow stew Natalya Scudder, but these besties turned rivals the next season. They both sought to assert their dominance following Natalya becoming third stew when Chief Stew Tumi Mhlongo was told to watch out for her by Kyle. Kyle is one of the best characters throughout the Below Deck Cinematic Universe.
5 Dani Soares
'Below Deck Sailing Yacht', Season 2
Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 2 had a major refresh that helped save the series. While fans fell in love with the three best friends, Gary King, Colin Macrae, and Daisy Kelliher, they first saw stew Dani Soare fall in love with the much younger deckhand Jean-Luc Cerza Lanaux. Dani was another cast member whose main goal was to do her job and ensure she received a good tip at the end of each charter. But it almost went to shambles when she became smitten with the tall deckie.
Much of her storyline revolved around the life she wanted to start after her time on Parsifal III. She felt that she was getting up there in age, her desire to be a mother was discussed often. As fate would have it, Dani did become pregnant, creating quite a scandal during the reunion. JL didn't attend, not allowing him to defend himself following accusations that he didn't want to be involved in the child's life. He eventually sat down with Andy Cohen to discuss the comments in a separately recorded conversation. While Dani's time on the show will be remembered for her love story, she should also be praised for the great work she did.
4 Emily Warburton-Adams
'Below Deck', Season 4
Emily Warburton-Adams was the sweet English Rose of Below Deck Season 4. Another stew who was exceptional at her job, Emily caught the eye of Chef Ben Robinson. While he did try to distract her from her duties, she kept her eye on the prize and let their boatmance flourish, temporarily, after the season.
The only problems Emily seemed to face came from Chief Stew Kate Chastain, who had a very close connection with Ben and felt she was replaced. Emily was truly a rare one during a very mild season, which made her one of the best stews of the Below Deck Cinematic Universe.
3 Hayley De Sola Pinto
'Below Deck', Season 10
A great personality can get you far in the yachting industry! Such was the case for the fabulous Hayley De Sola Pinto. Season 10 of Below Deck was like a revolving door of crew as people were fired and Captain Lee Rosbach had to depart due to a nerve issue. The bright spot during all of the darkness was third stew Hayley. She got along swimmingly with Chief Stew Fraser Olender. Especially as she was the ear he turned to during the Camille Lamb-Alissa Humber fiasco.
She was proficient at her job and stayed out of the immense drama that the rest of the interior team endured. Hayley's vibrant personality and ability to make crew and guests smile was her best asset. Fans were disappointed when Hayley didn't return for another season, but there's always other superyachts in the Below Deck Cinematic Universe.
2 Josiah Carter
'Below Deck', Season 6
Josiah Carter made history as the first male stew to appear on Below Deck. Literally being Chief Stew Kate Chastain's right-hand man, Josiah proved that he was just so good at every aspect of the interior. With another disaster stew on their team, Josiah and Kate formed a close bond as they had to fend off the problems Caroline Bedol caused for them.
How they said goodbye to her though is the only dark spot during his Below Deck tenure. Josiah was constantly praised by his superiors and the guests alike. Had Josiah not stepped away, and there been an opening available, Josiah would have made an excellent chief stew. It's the charm!
1 Amy Johnson
'Below Deck', Seasons 2 and 3
During her first season on Below Deck, Amy Johnson had a bit of a rough go. She never did anything wrong, her sweet-as-pie Southern charm just didn't vibe well with Chief Stew Kate Chastain. Oh, and having to watch your brother engage in a boatmance wasn't easy. So, she flirted with Eddie Lucas, causing tension between her brother, Kelley Johnson, and his colleague.
Nevertheless, Amy was invited to return for Season 3, where she and Kate were not only able to get along, but they formed an incredible tandem. Well, that may have been because they were able to rely on one another as they endured Hurricane Rocky Dakota, their problematic third stew. Amy was the definition of service with a smile. While she may not have been the over-the-top personality you'd want from a reality star, she certainly was someone you wished would be part of the team if you charted a yacht.
KEEP READING: Captain Jason Chambers Gives an Update on Season 3 of 'Below Deck Down Under'
