On the upcoming episode of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, airing January 6, Chief Stew Daisy Kelliher faces harsh criticism from Captain Glenn Shephard, following a difficult charter with a particularly demanding group of guests. As the guests depart, they place blame on the interior crew, particularly the women, for not meeting their high expectations, while praising the exterior crew—mainly the men—for their performance.
This critique doesn’t sit well with Daisy, who feels that her team went above and beyond to accommodate a very challenging group of guests. It’s not the first time that Glenn has been accused of showing favoritism toward the deck team at the expense of the interior team, which only intensifies the tension between the two.
A Challenging Group of Guests
The conflict starts when Captain Glenn sits down to speak with the departing guests. As he checks in with them, he hears their complaints about the service during their charter. Despite their luxurious surroundings, the guests felt that the interior crew failed to deliver the high level of service expected on a superyacht. They expressed their dissatisfaction with the service provided by the female crew members, while giving glowing reviews of the exterior crew who kept them entertained with water toys and other activities.
“When you come to this level of luxury,” one of the co-primary guests remarked, “you want to get what you paid for. The guys went above and beyond to ensure we had a great time. The ladies were very friendly, but they weren’t as attentive.” The other co-primary guest added, “They were friendly to our faces, but behind our backs, they rolled their eyes and seemed frustrated.”
The guests’ complaints may seem unreasonable to some viewers, especially given the difficult nature of the group. From the start, they didn’t enjoy the sailing experience. Despite chartering a sailing yacht, they complained about seasickness almost immediately once the sails were put up, and requested that Glenn end the sail early because they didn’t like the boat’s tilt.
The guests also made specific requests for a seven-course meal, only to complain halfway through that it was too much food. They also asked for a different cocktail with each course, only to later complain that the drinks were “too strong.” When Daisy suggested they could leave some of the cocktails unfinished, her offer was met with resistance.
Additionally, one guest expressed disdain for the Oysters Rockefeller, despite having listed oysters under her food preferences. Chef Cloyce Martin was puzzled when the guest rejected the dish, as it was specifically requested in her preference sheet.
Daisy’s Frustration and Glenn’s Criticism
After the guests have left, Captain Glenn sits down with Daisy to discuss the charter’s feedback. He tells her that the primaries felt the service wasn’t up to the high standards of a superyacht. Daisy, however, pushes back against this criticism. “There was just such a bad vibe,” she explains. “I’ll take responsibility for that, but I tried to start conversations, and I kept getting stonewalled. It got to the point where I didn’t want to be around them anymore.”
While Daisy acknowledges that she could have done better, she clearly feels that the situation was beyond her control. Glenn, however, points out that as the leader of the interior team, she should have done more to manage the guest experience. He asks her, “What can we do differently?”
Daisy’s frustration boils over. “It’s not just you,” she snaps back. “Fck me, this fcking day.” Her frustration is understandable, given that Glenn often seems to side with the deck crew, leaving Daisy and her team to carry the weight of the service complaints. But it’s also true that Daisy tends to be hard on herself, especially when the charter doesn’t go smoothly.
In the end, Glenn advises Daisy to take a break and come back with a fresh perspective. It’s clear that both Daisy and Glenn have their own challenges to work through, but the tension between the two highlights the ongoing dynamic between the interior and exterior teams on the show.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht airs Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo.
What do you think Daisy could have done to make the guests happier? Do you think their complaints were justified, or were they being unreasonable?
