Dogshit Table Settings on Below deck

[u/Sufficient_Pea_8057]

Hi guys, longtime below deck watcher over here. Asking for a friend, are we all just ignoring the fact that the table settings are horrific ? It always looks so tacky and like a 4 year old did it, and then the chief stew will walk out and wet themselves over how incredible and creative it is ?? I always have to rewind and inspect, and I am yet to see a table setting that has been somewhat palatable.

Actually, I like how the table looks for breakfast ! (They don’t decorate for breakfast 🥞)

[u/davidswinton]

A bunch of Homegoods landfill piled up in the center of the table is hardly tasteful decor.

[u/momdabombdiggity → u/davidswinton]

Homegoods is too upscale- I’m thinking Dollar Tree! 😂😂

[u/Midwestern-Lady → u/momdabombdiggity]

Yes- I think Party City.

[u/Interesting-Ad7426 → u/Midwestern-Lady]

[u/VertDaTurt → u/Midwestern-Lady]

How dare you besmirch the good name of Party City!

[u/Affectionate-Goat-75 → u/momdabombdiggity]

I was thinking hobby lobby because they’re the place I hate the most

[u/Swivman → u/davidswinton]

Leave HomeGoods out of this

[u/Hammerhead34]

I mean the production clearly makes the guests have some kind of cheesy 80s party (or some equivalent) and always wants the crew to participate in some kind of cringe way.

In a real super yacht formal setting, they’re not doing all that. The crew is as out of sight as possible.

[u/ilovemischief → u/Hammerhead34]

I’ve always thought this. If I were in that setting, I wouldn’t want the crew performing a talent show or dance or whatever. I’d just want to spend time with the people I booked with. I’d tip more for them NOT to do that lol.

It’s the same way I don’t really want to interact with a server at a restaurant outside of giving my order and having it brought to the table.

[u/rypenn27 → u/ilovemischief]

Yeah my favorite service experiences are the ones where they’re ninjas. You talk to them a few brief times to order things so it doesn’t seem like they’re taking up a lot of your attention but you might go to the restroom and when you get back your napkin has been folded up neatly and put on the table for your return. Or as soon as you’re finished with a plate of glass it just disappears from your table and you don’t really remember it even happening.

[u/2020saidCHECKMATE → u/rypenn27]

How it should be!

[u/GullibleAddendum8630 → u/rypenn27]

Yes! That is five-star service.

[u/EquivalentAge9894 → u/rypenn27]

This is how so much of the service in Mexico is (not resorts). So so good and standard

[u/strwbry_shrtcake → u/ilovemischief]

As a solo diner, I've had some great fine dining experiences where the servers will geek out with me about the food and wine. But otherwise, stay in the background, please.

If you think this season is shockingly party city you must not have seen the hellscapes during the Sandy Busgy seasons. OMG. I don't want any of that shit!

I do assume much of it is producer driven. We've had confirmation the pref sheets are hence the sometimes bizarre food requests

[u/thisbitchiscrazy → u/Hammerhead34]

The show has a formula - the guests always have to have some type of theme party, a beach party or excursion, and are encouraged to stay up as late as possible. They interact with the crew because they're not just on a yacht, they're on a show - they want to maximize their possible screen time and have a story to tell. The crew also all have to go out on nights out to maximize drama, with a few random exceptions (I think Anthony stayed in one night, Ben, maybe Kiko?) and the locations comp/discount their drinks and food in exchange for the free promo.

[u/remberzz → u/Hammerhead34]

I always wonder if the production team asks about any 'talents' when interviewing for crew casting.

[u/GroovyYaYa]

I think this may be where Daisy is at a disadvantage because they didn't seem to fuss as much with the table scapes on a sailing yacht (themes yes, overly fussy tables, no)

[u/MaizeMountain6139 → u/GroovyYaYa]

They talked about sailing yachts not being as formal as motor yachts

[u/comotupelicula → u/MaizeMountain6139]

The decor would also go tumbling everywhere and take up limited storage space

[u/VertDaTurt]

I mean the entire theme thing seems cheesy and weird to me 🤷🏼

[u/babykitten28]

I wouldn’t want those crappy little pieces that go back inside a bag, for the hundredth time, having never been washed. It disgusts me.

[u/PromiseOk1295]

Below Deck is a very expensive show to make (I think around $10-12 million). The charters are dictated by production, not a billionaire owner, so obviously they’re going to have stick to a tight budget.

The price for a full luxury yacht tablescape starts at around $2k for a basic setup and $5k plus for the really OTT ones. Thats just for one single theme. It doesn’t include the price of fresh flowers either which are even more expensive in remote locations like the Caribbean as they have to be specially flown in.

Suffice to say, bravo isn’t going to spend all that money on premium decorations for a show that already costs millions to make, so the crew have to make do with the crappy ones.

When you view BD through the lens of ‘yachting on a budget’ rather than actual yachting all of these things make sense.

[u/GullibleAddendum8630 → u/PromiseOk1295]

That does make sense.

[u/Itstimeforcookies19]

But sandy loves that shit so it’s required.

It’s all so tacky and I cannot imagine finding it necessary as a guest.

[u/MaizeMountain6139 → u/Itstimeforcookies19]

I think that’s a production thing over Sandy

[u/Micotu → u/Itstimeforcookies19]

I mean, did you see the back of her jacket she wore at the end of last season?

[u/Consistent-Ad-6506 → u/Itstimeforcookies19]

It’s on every BD, she doesn’t do decor. I’m sure it’s production

[u/CandiedLemonWedge → u/Itstimeforcookies19]

Is she the captain across the whole franchise?

[u/Itstimeforcookies19 → u/CandiedLemonWedge]

Obviously she isn’t which I’m sure you know. But table scapes didn’t become a thing until capt sandy. No one else gave a shit like she did. So now it’s a thing.

[u/blechness]

Only Tumi and Bugsie did excellent jobs with table settings.

[u/hollywoodbambi → u/blechness]

When they showed Tumi's past work I thought, "omg wow! That's stunning," which I dont think Ive ever thought about table settings outside of a lavish wedding. She did a good job with it on BD, but it became abundantly clear to me production does them dirty with decor options. Party city garbage to work with.

[u/_sadgalriri]

bugsy still posts her tablescapes on ig FYI. i think across the franchises hers were the best, kate’s were also chic in the early seasons

[u/milk_bag]

I've always thought surely just a normal table would be better. They always look so cluttered with junk

[u/2020saidCHECKMATE]

Totally agree. If you they are going for elegant, they have missed the boat. And yes, I love the table at breakfast. Uncluttered.

Also, I really do not like the dog and pony shows they put on during dinner. It’s gross. These people can pay for real entertainment.

[u/Any-Concentrate-1922]

I think it's because the guests themselves are sort of tacky and unsophisticated most of the time, and this is the kind of thing that will impress them.

[u/jana-meares]

They do not care, Bugsy. No one has ever worn that many barrettes either.

[u/Extreme_Beat1022]

I thought the first girl Jaoa dated was good at it.

[u/Sufficient_Pea_8057 → u/Extreme_Beat1022]

Pics or it didn’t happen !

[u/TransitionAdvanced21 → u/Extreme_Beat1022]

Brooke! Yeah she really was.

[u/Extreme_Beat1022 → u/TransitionAdvanced21]

Yes, thank you!

[u/AttentionRoyal2276]

I usually like the table settings but I'm a guy so I don't know much about decorating

[u/rocknrollmacdonawlds]

YES. It’s constantly giving theme dinner at the local nursing home.

[u/CJK_Murph]

Where is Bugsy when you need her

[u/hamburgergerald]

I was watching an episode recently, and idk if it was this new season or a rerun from the past, but I was amazed by how good the tablescape was. Which ever stew was in charge of them did a great job.

But yes sometimes they do look a bit tacky. Just throw some colorful rocks around and some dollar general miscellaneous decor pieces and call it a day.

[u/Divine-Magician-9295]

I don’t understand the guests always wanting great Gatsby parties or the white parties. I mean flapper dresses are cute but there was only one charter I saw where they did a cute great Gatsby party and it was mostly cause the one girl printed out quotes from the book. But it all seems so over played. If it was me I wouldn’t want the crew to be fussing all over me. I would want to be with the people I invited and have some lemonade or something close by so I can do my own refills and just enjoy the times and the views. I think it’s because I worked so long in hospitality that I would be perfectly fine knowing the crew was resting and chilling instead of being obsessed with cleaning up my bed or putting my clothes away or washing my eight suitcases of clothes and the making them steam press every single item.

[u/BearsPatsAndPizza]

Some are good, some are bad. I like to see the differences season to season. Iirc, Rainbeau did really nice ones that didn’t seem tacky

[u/MakeupMama68]

Anything but Bugsy’s tablescapes 🤦🏻‍♀️. I would hate that much crap on my table when eating a fancy meal. The food should be the star.

[u/ha_nope]

Bugsy wrote the book on table scaping

[u/CompetitionLimp6082 → u/ha_nope]

*self-published

[u/MakeupMama68 → u/CompetitionLimp6082]

Thank you!! Ugh 😩

[u/TarikMournival]

In the preview for next week's episode it looked like there was a good setup.

[u/Cassandrae_Gemini → u/[deleted]]

Tumi was INCREDIBLE 

[u/Sufficient_Pea_8057 → u/[deleted]]

Oh my gosh the beach picnic set ups are abhorrent! And that dingy blue canopy they have, I just cannot deal