The Below Deck franchise has had its fair share of tricky guests and poor service on charters. While the crew do their best to give guests a five-star yachting experience, sometimes their attempts fall flat. Other times, charter guests on reality TV are too rude or picky to realize all the hard work that’s gone into making their stay a positive one. Everything comes down to the end of the charter when the guests exit, say their goodbyes, and give the captains a fat envelope stuffed with cash for the crew’s tip.
The tip amount varies based on the length of the charter, experience, and how much the charter costs. However, former Major League Baseball (MLB) player, Johnny Damon, proved that even with a poor dining experience, the crew can still set sail with a large tip.
Former MLB Player Johnny Damon Thought The Food Was Less Than 5 Stars
Former MLB player Johnny Damon loved being on a yacht so much that he appeared in two seasons of Below Deck Mediterranean — Seasons 4 and 5. Unfortunately for Johnny, he had subpar dishes in both seasons.
|
Season |
Tip Amount |
|
Season 4 |
$17,400 |
|
Season 5 |
$18,000 |
In Season 4, Chef Anastasia Surmava had the privilege of cooking for Johnny and his family. Before every charter, the guests fill out a preference sheet and tell the crew about their food and beverage preferences. According to Bravo, Johnny and his wife Michelle asked for “local delicacies,” but that’s not entirely what they were given. Michelle shared, “Mostly we said we wanted to experience more of the local cuisine. We didn’t want to have American food like cheeseburgers or tacos; we just wanted to have more of the local delicacies.”
At the end of the charter, Johnny and his wife met with Captain Sandy to discuss the food that was being served. Unfortunately for Chef Anastasia, they both agreed the food was less than “five stars.” They wanted a heightened dining experience and Anastasia played it safe and typical with her dishes (like a chicken Caesar salad for lunch).
Anastasia was an interim chef during Johnny Damon’s stay.
On Bravo’s Daily Dish podcast, Johnny said the food was “alright,” but he gave Anastasia the benefit of the doubt. “We were on a boat so I know that’s difficult. I know I had to send back a rare steak but that stuff happens. You can always undercook and still get the steak right but once you overcook… so I get it. I wasn’t too upset,” the professional baseball player shared.
Anastasia did fulfill Johnny and his wife’s wishes by serving them a local delicacy, sea urchin.
Despite thinking the food was mediocre, after asking for a five-star dining experience, Johnny shocked the crew when he gave them a large tip – $17,400.
Just one season later, Johnny appeared again with his wife and friends. This time, Tom Cheketts was the lead chef. Unlike Anastasia, Tom was a professional chef with years of experience, so Johnny had high hopes for his meals.
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Season |
Episode Title |
|
Season 4, Episode 9 |
“A Whole Different Ballgame” |
|
Season 4, Episode 10 |
“Docked and Loaded.” |
|
Season 4, Episode 11 |
“Monte Car-loco” |
|
Season 5, Episode 14 |
“Whole New Ballgame” |
|
Season 5, Episode 15 |
“Shot Through the Heart, and Ibiza’s to Blame” |
While the food was above and beyond Chef Anastasia’s, Johnny did ask for the scallops to be hotter and for his steak to be cooked more. Aside from those hiccups, Johnny and his wife thought Chef Tom’s food was some of the best they had in Spain and tipped the crew $18,000.
Anastasia Surmava And Tom Cheketts Were Not The Worst Chefs In The Franchise
Although Johnny Damon didn’t think Chef Anastasia Surmava or Tom Cheketts’ meals were home runs, there are far worse chefs in the Below Deck franchise who ended up leaving charters because of how bad the food was.
Some meals were so poorly crafted that some fans thought they were planted on the charter by production for entertainment.
|
Mila Kolomeitseva |
Below Deck Med. – Season 4 |
Mila Kolomeitseva wasn’t just a close-minded crew member, she was also one of the worst chefs ever shown in the Below Deck franchise. Apparently, she made pre-packaged nachos, microwaved steak, and didn’t know how to make American pancakes for breakfast. Captain Sandy realized Mila lied on her resume and fired her after a few episodes. |
|
Ryan McKeown |
Below Deck Down Under – Season 1 |
Ryan McKeown was hard to watch on Below Deck Down Under’s first season. Not only was he combative, emotionally abusive, and a poor communicator, but he was a poor chef. Guests constantly complained about the mediocrity of his food and even called his meals “basic,” according to The Daily Mail. What’s worse, Ryan never told the guests what he was planning on serving that day. Most guests wanted a say in their meals. Captain Jason eventually fired him and hired a replacement. |
|
Leon Walker |
Below Deck – Season 3 |
Season 3’s Leon Walker did not get along with that season’s chief stewardess, which made for a toxic work environment. Leon was argumentative and rarely took the guest’s requests to heart, making many disappointed in their food. One notable moment was when he ignored a guest’s dietary restrictions. Even worse, his lack of precision resulted in an oven fire on board! |
Considering how hard the crew works, anything less than a 15 percent tip is seen as a waste of time. With charter guests spending thousands of dollars on a once-in-a-lifetime experience, cooking legendary meals and giving excellent service comes with the package for yacht workers.
Johnny Damon was one of the kinder charter guests who saw the hard work the crew put into their excursion despite the food not being at the level he expected (at least with Anastasia). With different series in the same franchise, it’ll be interesting to see if Johnny makes another appearance for a third attempt at culinary perfection while on vacation.