Is the RHOSLC Cast’s “Insane” Below Deck Down Under Tip the Biggest in Below Deck History?

After shouting matches, thrown water glasses, injury and illness, and even a stuffed unicorn thrown overboard, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 6 cast was ready to depart the yacht, but not before they showed their appreciation to the Below Deck Down Under Season 4 crew for their efforts during the historic crossover charter in Canouan.

In the Feb. 16 episode, primary charter guest Heather Gay praised the crew for their hard work. “We have had the trip of a lifetime. You guys absolutely rose to the occasion. This is a small token of our appreciation,” she said as she handed the tip envelope to Captain Jason Chambers. “We want you guys to go out on the town and just do us proud. That’s all we ask. We love you.”

Crews from across the Below Deck universe have dealt with their share of unimpressive tips, but this gratuity envelope was nothing to sneeze at. “The tip is the biggest tip I’ve ever seen in my life. $35,000. $2,900 each,” Jason shared with his team in Episode 3. “I think everyone just put in 100 percent, and that just shows.”

Second officer João Franco rightfully declared the RHOSLC cast’s tip “insane,” and sous chef Alesia Harris joked, “I’m rich!” But for deckhand Eddy Hounsell, the money was extra meaningful. “I’ve just worked in essence 48 hours, and you’ve just been given, what, $2900?” he explained on the Below Deck Down Under After Show. “I’ve been broke. So there was just a moment where I thought like, ‘You’ve done it, Eddy. Well done.’”

Captain Jason felt the generous tip was well-deserved. “We wanted success. We got it. And we got it in the shape of a big, fat envelope,” he said on the After Show.

During the After Show, head chef Ben Robinson speculated, “I think it could have been the biggest [tip] on Below Deck history? I don’t know.”

But producers revealed the biggest tip in franchise history actually belongs to the Below Deck Mediterranean Season 10 crew, who received a whopping $40,000 during Episode 6, which amounted to $4,000 for each crew member.

The Below Deck Down Under Season 4 crew reflects on RHOSLC crossover charter
Chief stew Daisy Kelliher pointed out that the tip was validation after a difficult charter: “I am so happy about this tip. It’s a great way to start the season. And they really put us through our paces, so I’m so happy that it got well-recognized.”

Deck/stew Mike Durrant speculated that the ‘Wives “knew how chaotic they actually were,” and were making up for it with the large tip.

João agreed. “When we had the individual talks with them, they were like, ‘Sorry to be so chaotic. It is what it is. But, you know, you guys are doing great,’” he revealed. He later added, “At the end of the day, that was fantastic for us. Because it’s always recognition for how hard we worked towards the common goal, and that’s at the end of the day, to get paid. We came out—I won’t say unscathed—but we came out on top.”

What to Know About Below Deck Down Under Season 4
All aboard! Below Deck Down Under Season 4 has left the dock, with new episodes airing Mondays at 8/7c on Bravo and streaming the next day on Peacock.

Captain Jason Chambers is back at the helm, along with some very familiar faces from around the Below Deck universe, including Ben Robinson, Daisy Kelliher, and João Franco.​​​​​ They will be joined by Alesia Harris, Joe Caron, Jenna Woudberg, Mike Durrant, Eddy Hounsell, and Betul Yazici.

The crew finds itself on rocky waters, as the season kicks off with a historic crossover charter featuring The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 6 cast aboard M/Y Katina. As the yachties continue to set sail through Canouan in the Caribbean, they face crew drama, steamy hookups, and charter guest issues.

Want to watch in style? Check out exclusive Below Deck Down Under merch from Shop by Bravo.

During her Nov. 11 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Heather revealed that the tip came solely from the RHOSLC cast. “Everybody contributed, and I filled in any gaps,” she told Andy Cohen. “The tip is real, and we loved the service. We loved the experience. It was cheap compared to what we put them through, and it was an honor to pay them the money.”

Below Deck alum Kate Chastain noted that Ben got a priceless compliment when he impressed Mary Cosby with his cuisine.

“Mary Cosby has a very high standard. She only likes a very specific year Dom Perignon…that’s what she likes, in her luxury,” Kate told him during the After Show. “And she loved your food, so you really passed the highest bar.”

New Episodes Streaming This Week on Peacock
Monday: The Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Real Housewives of Rhode Island

Tuesday: Below Deck Down Under and Top Chef

Wednesday: Summer House

Thursday: The Valley and Southern Hospitality

Friday: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Ladies of London

Despite the drama, Captain Jason shared it was a good experience, and said, “Individually they—all of them—are very sweet.”

“I really enjoyed this charter. I really enjoyed getting to know them,” Daisy chimed in. “And I think, honestly, it’s iconic, and I’m so glad Bravo did it, and I’m so glad that I got to be a part of it.”

Captain Jason Chambers explains the new guest comment cards on Below Deck Down Under Season 4
While Captain Jason’s infamous disco ball helmet is back for Season 4 (although he joked it belonged to the RHOSLC cast during the Feb. 12 episode), something new popped up during the first tip meeting of this season: comment cards.

“This season we have some review cards from all the charter guests,” he explained. “They get a chance to say what they feel.” As far as how charter one went, Jason reported, “In general, it was absolutely five-star. Mike gets a lot of mentions.”

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If you recall, Mike revealed that he’s actually a stripper on the side, and Lisa Barlow asked him to “twerk” on Heather after the zombie-theme Night 2 dinner. “I mean, that’s, like, the best gift you could give all of us,” Lisa told him at the time.

João joked during the After Show that while “Magic Mike” was mentioned frequently in the RHOSLC cast’s comment cards, that pattern actually continued all season.

“Magic Mike here got however many reviews,” João said. “We actually had a competition with the reviews.”

Spoiler alert: João disclosed that Captain Jason “won the reviews,” and then shared Mike’s reaction. “Mike says to him, ‘Don’t give a f—k if you won. As long as I’m beating João, it’s fine.’”

ICYMI, we finally now know which RHOSLC cast member brought that cucumber aboard the yacht—and why.