Below Deck Season 12 is in full-force and, after a bumpy first charter, Captain Kerry Titheradge and his crew, aboard the St. David is ready to tackle their second charter with, hopefully, no mishaps. In a Below Deck season first, the crew tackle a five-day charter with eight guests, and it’s one that will surely be remembered.

The crew have their work cut out for them when they meet their guests, who are all in the adult entertainment industry. Chief Stew Fraser Olender and his team pull out all the stops, ensuring that each guest has a thrilling experience and one they’d go home and talk about. But, when Captain Kerry gets the tip at the end of the charter, it’s dismal, especially after all the work his crew has put in for these extravagant guests.

Captain Kerry Titherage Expresses Outrage Over Crew Tip

The Crew Went All Out To Cater To Their Guests Only To Receive A “Pathetic” Tip

Below Deck had never before seen a five-day charter, but the crew aboard the St. David made sure to pull out all the stops for this particular one. In Episode 3, the crew learn that they will embark on a lengthy charter with eight men in the adult entertainment industry.

The five-day charter unfolded over two episodes, with both the interior and the exterior crew working tirelessly to ensure every guest had a memorable experience. Surprisingly, only minor mishaps occurred. Chef Anthony Iracane — who returned to the St. David, after being fired last season, seemed to find his stride after stepping in for Chef Lawrence Snowden, who abruptly quit after he couldn’t handle the cameras.

When the crew waved goodbye to their guests after a successful charter, they probably expected a much larger tip, knowing that it was a longer charter which included plenty of excursions and wild, themed dinners. So, as the crew poured champagne and awaited Captain Kerry to tell them what they had earned, they were all stunned.

“I am really impressed with everyone’s performance this charter,” Kerry said. “The theme nights, the water sports, the food.”

Fraser Olender then shared, “Is it that bad?”

Captain Kerry revealed, “[It is] $19,990 and that is $1,500 each, but for a five-day charter, I would expect a lot more.”

While it may seem like a lot of money, fans know that the Below Deck team typically earn around this amount for two-day charters. The tip should have been substantially more given that they had to cater to eight guests for five days, and come up with fun-filled ideas and exceptional dinner themes each day.

In a confessional, both deckhands, Kyle Stillie and Damo Yorg, joked that they got “shafted” and that the guests “gave us the whiskey d*** equivalent of a tip.” Because of their lousy tip, Captain Kerry took the crew to dinner in St. Barts and a half-day and brunch the following day.

According to a Reddit thread, a charter guest who was aboard the five-day charter on Below Deck responded to Captain Kerry, calling the tip “pathetic.” The thread showed an Instagram conversation between a user and Skyy Knox, who responded to the user having asked how he felt about the captain’s comment.

Skyy surprisingly replied, “I could care less.” He also added that the tip was not up to him. “It’s TV, and we had nothing to do with the tip. Our sponsor took care of everything.” Yikes!

Why The Below Deck Crew Deserved Way More In Tips

From Themed-Dinners To Fun-Filled Excursions, The Crew Deserved Way More

Captain Kerry was correct when he called the tip “pathetic.” When Fraser learned that he would be catering to eight men in the adult entertainment industry, he shared in a confessional, “We are gonna be stretched, we are gonna be pulled, we’re gonna be flipped, were gonna be f***** — but not in that way.”

One of his first requests was to put lube in every room. There was also an excursion where the crew took their guests to a nude beach, and another where the exterior team took them on a kayak ride at night. Theme nights, which are typical on charters, were done nearly every night, too. Plus, the crew usually find themselves dressing up to match the theme and even having to put on a show for the guests. Even Captain Kerry got into the fun of it during a Parisian-themed night where he wore a fake mustache.

Fraser and the crew did a terrific job when one of the themed dinner nights was an S&M dinner. Not only were the guests dressed in bondage, but so were the crew, who playfully acted along. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me, but I’m taking [this dinner] to a whole new level,” Fraser shared.

While there were a few mishaps during the charter, they were mostly internal. Bosun Ciao Poltronieri struggled with management, failing to schedule proper break times for his crew. (In fact, he may just be the one to get fired this season if his lack of leadership continues.)

Meanwhile, after Chef Lawrence departed, having briefly helped Chef Anthony find his footing, Anthony became a bit overwhelmed. At one point, he mistakenly served shrimp tempura to a guest with a shellfish allergy, despite the information being clearly noted on the preference sheet. “We can’t make these mistakes. Because we look stupid now,” Fraser tells him.

Fortunately, the issue was quickly addressed, and Anthony went on to redeem himself, stepping up impressively for the remainder of the grueling five-day charter.

So, it was very shocking that this crew received such a lousy tip after all that they did for this charter.