“Below Deck” has built a reputation for delivering high-stakes drama aboard its opulent superyachts, showcasing the dynamic and often turbulent interactions between charter guests and crew members.
Over the seasons, audiences have been riveted by a slew of scandals ranging from arrests and drug allegations to romantic entanglements and unexpected dismissals, ensuring that each episode is packed with surprises.
The tenth season of “Below Deck Mediterranean” continues this tradition of unpredictability. According to Chief Stew Aesha Scott, at least one guest each season tends to push boundaries and defy rules.
The 33-year-old New Zealand native shared her insights with the DailyMail, saying, “It seems like every season, there’s always that one guest who gets excessively drunk and tests everyone’s patience by flouting the rules.”
Scott confidently asserted, “I’ve become adept at handling such situations, letting them pass over me without being affected by their antics.”
Chief Stew Aesha Scott spoke exclusively with the DailyMail about the rules for alcohol consumption on the superyacht
The 33-year-old New Zealand native returns with Captain Sandy Yawn in, what she calls, the ‘best season of Below Deck ever’
She further explained, “While the mantra ‘the customer is never wrong’ is prevalent, especially in the superyacht industry where saying ‘yes’ is standard, there are ways to tactfully refuse unreasonable demands.”
Calling herself the ‘security guard’ onboard, since they don’t have actual security on stand-by, Scott explained that there ‘aren’t any specific rules’ when it comes to how many drinks a charter guest can have during a certain time period.
‘To be completely honest, I make my drinks quite strong because the stronger they are, the earlier you’re going to go to bed, most likely,’ she jokingly revealed.
‘But, once they get to the point where they are very clearly intoxicated, to the point where they can’t stand up, I’m not going to keep going at that point. You have to make a judgment call per person.’
Over the summer, during Below Deck season 12, a jaw-dropping moment took place when a charter guest was arrested after jumping in the ocean without a life vest. The guest in question then shouted at crew members during what appeared to be a drunken meltdown.
Given the reputation the Below Deck franchise has for being ‘the most real reality show ever,’ per Scott, the Bravo show (spinoffs include Below Deck Under and Sailing Yacht) doesn’t have the same rules in place as a show such as The Bachelor.
It was reported in 2017 that a drinking rule – two-drinks per hour – was implemented following a Bachelor in Paradise sexual misconduct scandal that involved heavy drinking. Filming was halted and an internal investigation was launched.
Last season on Below Deck, fans watched as a charter guest had a complete drunken meltdown on the yacht and was arrested after jumping in the ocean without a life vest on
Scott said the crew does not follow the ‘golden rule’ of the customer’s never wrong and said that she has learned when to say ‘no’ when it comes to alcohol consumption
After a brief hiatus and the investigation concluding with no charges of sexual misconduct, production continued without the parties involved, DeMario Jackson and Corrine Olympios, and the new drinking rules set in place.
While still prioritizing the charter guests’ safety onboard, Scott says that viewers of Below Deck get to witness ‘really raw, real life things.’
‘This season, every single charter, some new crazy thing happens that I just didn’t expect. And I really feel like the story gods were shining down on us,’ Scott remarked about season 10. ‘I think the viewers are going to be hooked right from start to finish.
‘It’s not just a whole season of hookups or only toxic drama. There’s such a variety of things that happen that I think there’s going to be something for everyone at home to relate to at some point.’
On the ‘best season of Below Deck ever,’ per Scott, the Chief Stew is joined by Captain Sandy Yawn, deckhand Max Salvador, bosun Nathan Gallagher and new cast members Chef Josh Bingham, deckhands Christian Trimino and Tessa Budd, and stews Kizzi Kitchener and Victoria SanJuan.
Gushing over Captain Yandy Sawn, Scott said, ‘I love that woman so much. And I always say what I wish people saw more of from her was her silly side because she does have such a silly side.
‘And I have fun when I’m at work. I love working with her because she does not micromanage or overlook me at all, she lets me do my own thing.’
She continued: ‘And then every time I have a break, like even if I get a three-minute gap, the very first thing that I do is run to the bridge or run to a cabin and just sit with her and laugh.
Scott said that she loves working with Captain Sandy Yawn because ‘she does not micromanage or overlook me at all, she lets me do my own thing’
The longtime stewardess said that Yawn is a ‘firm’ captain but also has a ‘silly side’
Scott’s nuptials to fiancé Scott Dobson will take place in New Zealand in March 2026
‘She is a firm but fair captain. And obviously because it fits the story better, you’re going to always see the part where she’s having to have a talk with someone or whatever. But, I feel like she’s silly the majority of the time.’
The co-workers have become so close that Captain Sandy – along with her wife Leah Rae Yawn – snagged an invite to Scott’s March 2026 wedding to fiancé Scott Dobson.
Their nuptials will take place in her hometown in New Zealand and will be filled with her favorite Thai food – lots of ‘curries and noodles’.
Watch more of Aesha Scott and the drama that unfolds when new episodes of Below Deck Mediterranean air Mondays at 8pm ET on Bravo.
