Below Deck Mediterranean Season 7 - Here's What We Can Tell Fans So Far
"Below Deck Mediterranean" brings the behind-the-scenes charter yacht drama while the crew puts on a good-time front for their guests. Captain Sandy Yawn may want to run a tight ship, but things are never just smooth sailing. In an August interview with Boat International, Captain Sandy expressed her frustration. "When you're from the charter world, you're used to having the best charter crew on the planet," the skipper said. "And then you step on board Below Deck and the chief stew has no experience," she lamented.
How do you keep guests happy with inexperienced staff? Luckily, she has crew members like bosun Malia White and chief steward Katie Flood, who have been around for a couple of seasons. The captain can rely on the deck boss and chief stew to help her keep things running smoothly.
Captain Sandy also appeared on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" to talk about "Below Deck Med" Season 6, per Bravo. She had high praise for her crew aboard the Lady Michelle. "The crew were amazing this year, to be honest," she raved. "They bonded from the very beginning. Yes, there were a couple that didn't, but, you know, overall they were just a happy crew. They gelled immediately," she said. Of course, that begs the question about whether a seventh season of "Below Deck Med" will materialize and whether the cast will also get along as well as the Season 6 crew.
Below Deck Mediterranean's Season 7 release date
The "Below Deck" franchise continues to be ratings gold for Bravo. In addition to the original show, "Below Deck Sailing Yacht," and "Below Deck Mediterranean," Bravo announced two more spinoffs: "Below Deck Adventure" and "Below Deck Down Under." It's almost guaranteed that there will be a seventh season of "Below Deck Mediterranean."
Avid fans of the show took to Reddit to post photos that may indicate that the cast and crew of "Below Deck Med" Season 7 may already be filming. According to Starcasm, Malta could be the crew's next destination. One Instagram post also appears to back the social media sleuths' claims. Lovin Malta posted video footage in mid-September. It appears as if Captain Sandy Yawn and other crew members are aboard a luxury yacht in the location. The post read, "The crew behind a well-known reality series have been spotted filming in Malta — again!" The post continued, "This time, footage emerged of Captain Sandy, having returned to the helm for the filming of season six of @belowdeckmedbravo in Birgu."
If the reports and photos are correct, the reality show would have been renewed. The Cinemaholic predicts that the release date "Below Deck Med" should follow a similar pattern as previous years. Because new seasons tend to air around May or June, fans may expect Season 7 in early summer.
Who's returning to Below Deck Mediterranean?
One thing that irks Captain Sandy Yawn is that sometimes, her crew has sighed on to "Below Deck Med" for the wrong reasons. Not only does she then have to deal with a "green" crew, per Boat International, but she also has to motivate them to work. "When someone doesn't have passion for the job or is just there to be on TV and hope their career is going to take off, that is hard for me. I don't have time for it, and you can always tell — the camera never lies," Captain Sandy said to Boat International in August.
As Captain Sandy has been at the helm since Season 2, it seems likely that she will return. Starcasm reports that there are plenty of new faces aboard the Home, but the Lovin Malta Instagram video shows that Mzi "Zee" Dempers and possibly Courtney Veale may also be on the yacht.
According to a Reddit thread, one photo shows that a new chef may also make an appearance. Fans were quick to note that the photos and video don't show Malia White aboard the ship. A possible reason could be that she had a scooter accident in June, per Page Six. She sustained some injuries from the crash and, therefore, may not have been available for the new season of the reality show.
New cast members for Below Deck Med — and a death
"Below Deck" Season 6 viewers may remember that Mathew Shea quit the show, per Bravo, for the second time. The chef revealed to Bravo Insider that he was "overwhelmed about the whole experience." Therefore, when one Reddit user commented that a new crew member could be an experienced yachting chef, Starcasm decided to investigate. Apparently, the new cook could be a restauranteur called David White. They reported that White had taken to his Instagram Stories to share video footage and pics of himself in a location that appears to be Malta.
While viewers may welcome new faces in "Below Deck Med" Season 7, one past crew member isn't coming back. Those who have been following the reality show since the beginning may remember Captain Mark Howard, who ran a tight ship in the first season. Howard died on October 28, per People, at the age of 65. According to TMZ, his wife Susan Howard found his body when she returned from an out-of-town dog show. A police report stated that Mark's body was covered in boxes that had seemingly fallen on top of him.
Some cast and crew paid tribute on social media, including former chief stew Hannah Ferrier, who wrote, "Rest In Peace my friend. You were a great captain, friend and colleague. Always the gentleman." Hannah added, "You will be missed."