[1][2] The show chronicles the lives of the crew members who work and reside aboard a superyacht during charter season.

Producers booked a five-week Caribbean charter in Sint Maarten on the 50-meter (164-foot) yacht Cuor di Leone.

[9] New cast additions included Kate Chastain, siblings Kelley and Amy Johnson, Jennice Ontiveros, Andrew Sturby, and Logan Reese.

[15] On July 17, 2017, it was announced that the fifth season would premiere on September 5, 2017, with Lee Rosbach, Kate Chastain, and Nico Scholly returning.

[18][19] In season 6 episode 11, Ashton Pienaar had a close brush with death when he got a tow line wrapped around his leg and was dragged into the water between the yacht My Seanna,[20] which was underway, and the vessel's tender.

If he had not completely freed the line, the tension between the vessel and the tender would have pulled it tight around Ashton's leg and severed his foot; he would have bled to death in seconds.

(Imagine a very special episode in which one of the Bayside crew finds a baggie of coke on the volleyball court at Malibu Sands and then hands it over to Stacy Carosi.

[73] David Hinckley from the New York Daily News gave a negative review, remarking that Bravo "make[s] waves with reality series set on a luxury yacht, but viewers aren't well served by a show that's anchored in tedium."

Reviewing the first episode of the show, he was not impressed by the lack of storylines and called the premiere "pretty mundane".

[74] Emily Yahr, a critic from The Washington Post, questioned the show's truthfulness and added that the series "seem[s] so scripted—the stereotypical spoiled crew members, the neatly wrapped-up “plotlines”—that it's hard to take seriously, even in the dubious cable reality show genre.

"[75] Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was more positive by describing the show as a "fairly entertaining, voyeuristic look at a made-for-reality-TV crew.

[77] Neil Genzlinger from The New York Times criticized the casting choices, writing that "the real issue with this series is that the crew members aren't all that interesting."

"[78] Sandy Malone, writing for The Huffington Post in September 2014, questioned whether the show is hurting the yachting industry.

Malone said, "My conclusion, if this show is going to do positive things for the yachting industry, instead of destroying its reputation for stellar service, a big change had better come with [the upcoming season].

"[79] Below Deck premiered on the Bravo cable network in the United States; the first episode debuted on Monday at 10:00/9:00 ET/PT on July 1, 2013.

The second season of the reality series debuted on August 12, 2014 and ended on November 4, 2014, after airing thirteen episodes.