Think about the place you work. Now imagine what it would be like if you didn't go home at night and instead slept (and ate and showered) there. What if that workplace were not, say, a conventional office but a 150-foot moving vessel on the open water, meaning you couldn't just take a walk when you needed to blow off steam or vent about your boss? And, oh, yeah, did we mention you work in the service industry, so you must also cater to some pretty tough customers while keeping a smile pasted to your face? Even when you're running on fumes and maybe your best friend and your crush - who also happen to be your coworkers - are dating each other? Welcome to life on Below Deck, Bravo's hit reality franchise about the luxury yachting industry. Since 2013, viewers have watched a rotating crew of real-life captains, chefs, deckhands, stewardesses and other sailing professionals scramble to accommodate every guest whim (an impromptu concert on the dock!), food preference (gluten-free vegans who will eat bacon but not onions!) and quirk (we're looking at you, germaphobe who packed a blacklight). Us got the rare opportunity to talk to all-stars, OGs and newbies from every corner of the Below Deck universe to get all the saltwatery tea. Please welcome to the chat Capts. Sandy Yawn, Jason Chambers and Kerry Titheradge; chief stews Aesha Scott, Daisy Kelliher, Fraser Olender, Kate Chastain and Hannah Ferrier; and the lovestruck cast of Below Deck season 12. Origin Stories Even for experienced yachties, the camera element of being a Below Deck cast member changes things. Kate Chastain, Below Deck, 2014-20 I had only been on the boat for a week. I was overwhelmed by the cameras... I needed a moment to cry because I was freaking out. Anywhere I tried to run, that camera operator -- and I give them a lot of credit - - was right on me. So I would open up the cupboards in the stew pantry and stick my head in. I was crying in the cupboard, and the camera operator knew it. She was kind of teasing, like, "Get out! You get your head out!" But I was refusing to. I was like, Here's what's not going to happen: I'm not going to cry on camera, so I'm going to stick my head in the cupboard. Courtesy Everett Collection Aesha Scott, Below Deck Med and Down Under, 2019-present When I first got on the boat and the cameras were rolling, there was just this wave of energy that came over me and I was like, Oh, my God - this was that moment I was waiting for all my life. Very soon after that, I just completely forgot the cameras were there. A lot of people in their first season take a while to adjust or - what I find really frustrating - people come in and have a preconceived idea or try and be something they're not. But it's very intense. There's never any time where we are not being filmed. [By the end of charter,] I'm like, Get me off this f***ing boat. Below Deck's Captain Kerry Threatens to Deport 'Uncomfortable' Guests Capt. Sandy Yawn, Below Deck Mediterranean, 2017-present A showrunner reached out to me [and] asked if I wanted to cast for the show. I was afraid it would ruin my career. Then I decided, why not? The door of opportunity opened, so I walked through because I thought to myself, I can always walk back out. Best day, best decision. The marine industry hated the show, and I thought it was my mission to shift the way they think. So I've been working on them for years, and I have to say, the majority of people come around because our show highlights destinations and vessels and actually shows owners what captains go through. I love the show for that because what happens on Below Deck is actually what happens in the real world of chartering. Capt. Kerry Titheradge, Below Deck Adventure and Below Deck, 2022-present Part of my journey is, as a man, we want to fix everything, right? I watch myself over the years and see how I do something, I'm like, You know what? It's gone the right direction, but next time, I'm gonna do it this way. Or, Oh, boy, I didn't realize saying that when I left the space would affect people. So hats off to [those] who decided to put me on the show, because they've really helped me in my own development. Guests From Hell Money, alcohol, sun and close quarters can sometimes collide into an Are You F**king Kidding Me? cocktail of woe. Fraser Olender, Below Deck, 2021-present I usually make my most-hated guests think we're best friends. I don't know how I do it, but I do. It's never a primary - they've worked hard for their money, they know what they're doing. It's always a guest of the primary; we call them "whilst you're here" orders. So basically, "I need nothing, but whilst you're here..." They're just taking advantage of the opportunity. So whilst you're here, I'll have a water with a side of Diet Coke with a side of a coffee. I'll also get an oatmeal on the side, then I'll have a green juice and also a mimosa. I use that example because I've seen four drinks next to a stupid, stupid, painful woman. And I alw