What Happened in Below Deck Mediterranean Season 1? (Full Recap)

Stella Aurora

Season 1 of Below Deck Mediterranean observes the crew members of an opulent mega-yacht as they spend their lives in the Mediterranean. Captain Mark Howard, Chef Ben Robinson, and the rest of the crew live and work together, entwining their personal and professional lives.

While attempting to live in harmony with one another, they are having trouble meeting the needs of their visitors in the middle of the ocean.

Cast of Below Deck Mediterranean Season 1

  • Mark Howard – Captain
  • Bryan Kattenburg – Bosun, First Officer
  • Ben Robinson – Chef
  • Hannah Ferrier – Chief Stewardess
  • Julia d’Albert Pusey – 2nd Stewardess
  • Tiffany Copeland – 3rd Stewardess
  • Danny Zureikat – Deckhand
  • Jen Riservato – Deckhand
  • Bobby Giancola – Deckhand

Episode 1 - It's All Greek to Me

Below Deck Med S1 - Ionian crew learns to coexist

The Ionian Princess is being prepared for a new charter season around the Greek Islands with Chef Ben Robinson and eight new crew members. As the crew learns to coexist while preparing to host their first visitors, new faces provide fresh obstacles. Chief Steward Hannah Ferrier is busy with her ambitious third stew and bosun Bryan Kattenburg gets a promotion without expecting it.

They encounter a great barrier while attempting to satisfy the visitors’ one non-negotiable: streaming a live football game amid the Mediterranean. The crew gathers on the deck to welcome the visitors. Captain Mark Howard praises Hannah for magically turning the ship around in 24 hours.

Hannah welcomes visitors before leading them on their required yacht tour, which includes mentioning the hot tub of shame. Although the visitors appear happy with their lodgings, Bryan is still a little uneasy about having a woman on his deck crew.

Episode 2 - Game Time

Below Deck Med S1 - Jen Riservato

Even though the crew‘s attempt to webcast a football game in the middle of the Mediterranean doesn’t work as planned, the charter passengers are aware of their efforts. Jen Riservato believes that Bryan is giving her all the monotonous jobs because Bobby Giancola has a crush on Julia d’Albert Pusey. Additionally, Tiffany breaks down after Hannah confronts her about not finishing her tasks after spending the night with the Primary’s husband.

Red Scorpion Fish, which resembles a lobster and has a pretty repulsive appearance, is Ben’s working-class dinner. He’s trying to make up for the Moussaka that was poorly described the night before. In the kitchen, Bobby and Julia flirt, utterly not single.

Hannah stays up all night to ensure the game, which has buffering issues, is perfect. Bob is enraged, and the Captain is constantly present.

Tiffany Copeland takes over, managing the bar while revealing her Steelers fandom underneath her business top. The Steelers score a touchdown right before she enters for the final time, so she must remain.

Episode 3 - Model Deckhands

After the crew‘s first night off, Hannah sets boundaries when Bobby Giancola and Danny Zureikat bring females back to the yacht. While Bryan tries to make amends with the Captain, the boys receive their first strike. The crew finds it challenging to meet the needs of an all-female group when they hire the yacht.

Drama results as Danny break rule number one for yachties. While planning the following day, Hannah and Ben engage in flirtatious behavior in the kitchen. Although you wouldn’t want to keep a Ben because he calls everyone “dahling,” it may be entertaining to occasionally have him make you breakfast in Greece.

Tiffany and Jen Riservato are complaining about the trip. Jen is longing for a home and wants to smuggle herself back to the United States.

Episode 4 - Lovesick Danny

When Danny chooses to share a love poem with a charter passenger, he defies Captain Mark‘s explicit command. Amid Bobby’s growing affection for her, Julia phones her boyfriend. Tiffany tries more challenging to get Hannah to notice her stewing abilities.

Ben is torn between two stews on their night off, but he is shocked to see one of them sharing Bryan’s bunk. Just in time for the visitors to return to the boat, Ben was able to assemble Katie’s birthday cake back in the kitchen.

Danny cries out for another chance to regain Captain Mark’s faith as he is put through the wringer, but in the end, Captain Mark gives it to Danny. Danny had received two strikes at this point, but if Jen had revealed that they had been kissing, he would have undoubtedly been ejected. He doesn’t get his full tip on this particular charter, but he gets to stay.

Episode 5 - My Big Fat Greek Threesome

Below Deck Med S1 - Bobby and Julia

The group gets ready for their upcoming Oklahoma-based charter. The stews are tasked with organizing a hoedown in the country. As a result of Danny accusing Bobby of not being a team player, the deck crew begins to disintegrate.

When the charter guests appear to have a threesome in the jacuzzi after hours, Danny is once more in trouble for overstepping his bounds. Bobby and Julia are once more making out in the kitchen.

The pear vodka is right under where the guests are sitting, but they have requested some of the fancy flavored vodkas available. Food from the galley is being carried by Bobby and Danny. Bobby and Danny begin a fierce verbal fight because Bobby is upset that Danny wasn’t dismissed.

Episode 6 - Entrée-vous

The crew must give the new charter guests the most romantic journey of their lives when they arrive to mark their seven-month dating anniversary. Ben goes on a date with Hannah, but any chance of romance between the two may be dashed by a severe galley misunderstanding during the guests’ supper.

The Ionian Princess crew needs to move quickly to save another nearby ship when it starts to sink. Hannah and Tiffany are berating Julia for encouraging Bobby, but Julia and I don’t see it that way. Setting boundaries with him while remaining polite is a difficult line to tread with a coworker.

Hannah and Ben are preparing the food for the following day. When Julia calls Matty to tell him about Bobby, he stops talking. Bobby tells Bryan the following morning that the guests called Julia out for fawning over him all day.

Episode 7 - Who's Got Game

After spending the entire night and morning worrying about being fired, which is terrible, Hannah eventually unwinds. This demonstrates how well-aware she was of her error. She only had to accept responsibility. Bobby is visiting Julia for the entire afternoon while they gaze at clouds.

Everything is cute until he comes clean and admits he has a crush on her and wishes she was unmarried. When Ben informs the Captain about their galley misunderstanding while wearing his epaulets, Hannah witnesses the ultimate betrayal. After consecutive charters, the crew of the Ionian Princess finally has a well-earned day off.

Still, Bryan intends to teach Danny some proper deckie behavior. Bobby is reminded of her passionate relationship when Julia closes the door on him. Additionally, when an all-male bachelor charter group joins, Danny and Bobby are entrusted with locating the charter group’s guests’ arm candy in Mykonos.

Episode 8 - Charter King

When the charter guests bring back a sizable number of girls on board, Hannah’s migraine erupts. To Bobby and Bryan’s dismay, the bachelors declare Danny to be the inaugural MVP after they leave. Danny further alienates his crew by violating yet another yachtie code and interfering in Hannah and Ben’s affairs.

Jerry, who has little power over the weather, is up in the wheelhouse enquiring about the conditions. Ben is racing to get food out since he is furious that no one notified him the guests were awake. Tiffany is making jokes with the visitors, who are curious about what sort of mischief they got up to the night before.

She simply needs a bandana to complete the look. Jen was meant to be doing something, and Bryan made that very apparent to her, but she didn’t, which made docking very challenging. Bryan is dissatisfied with this charter because she lacks excitement, drive, and accountability.

Episode 9 - Fever Pitch

While Bobby comes to terms with the fact that he can’t ignore his feelings for Julia, Hannah and Ben redefine their relationship. After the group successfully completes a beach BBQ, Ben is assigned to produce American S’mores in Greece. When Bryan confronts Julia about failing to finish her tasks, he pays attention to the Captain’s instructions.

And when Bryan amps up his performance, Danny gets sick. Danny’s temperature has increased by two degrees to 103. Therefore the Captain is here to see him.

To help him out, Captain offers to go get something. He did not take any medication to lower his fever while he sat there all day. Ben is racing to get Danny a cold compress as the Captain brings in the medicine for his head since he is increasingly concerned about Danny.

Episode 10 - Charter from Heaven, Charter from Hell?

Below Deck Med S1 - Jen is trying to resist Bryan

The group enjoys Danny’s absence while he is away. Jen finally resists Bryan when he confronts her. While Bobby continues to be ignored by Julia, Tiffany’s feelings for Ben grow stronger.

As one laid-back charter departs, the crew is taken by surprise by a brand-new bunch of extremely picky passengers. The visitors show up, and Hannah’s boat tour, which usually lasts around 7 minutes, suddenly lasts for over an hour.

Since Hannah has been in the industry for a while, she can already tell that these visitors are terrible. Hannah cautions Ben that the visitors are “trash people,” and the head stew and chef promise to get along during this charter to make everything go more smoothly.

Episode 11 - They Hate Us Cuz They Ain't Us

Below Deck Med S1 - Tiffany Copeland

To persuade the picky charter passengers to extend their stay. Hannah puts on her best stew face. After a miscommunication goes wrong, Julia and Ben engage in a class struggle.

Bryan is put on high alert as the Captain returns Danny’s phone. And their bond grows even closer when Ben confides in Hannah about his serious problems. Tiffany discovers a bloody tampon on the carpet while cleaning guest rooms.

She was furious. Jobs for the stew shouldn’t include dealing with biohazards. The passengers are on deck whining that the crew hasn’t checked on them and questioning what twelve people on board are doing instead of continuously bringing them drinks.

Episode 12 - The Beautiful Thing About Subpar

Below Deck Med S1 - Capt Mark Howard

The guests are getting ready to leave after a lengthy stay. Hannah hopes her charm will win them over in exchange for a sizable gratuity. In the meantime, Captain Mark is faced with a choice that will shock the entire crew due to the escalating conflict between Danny, Bobby, and Bryan.

Hannah is unaware that Ben and Tiffany are intensifying their flirtation. Furthermore, Bobby’s attempt to bring a date back on the boat fails. Ben refuses to discuss it just yet, so Julia tries to make amends. Her remarks caused a lot of emotion in our wonderful Englishman, and talking about it during the charter would only make him feel worse.

Finally pulling the trigger, the Captain dismisses Danny. Daniel does shoddy work. Danny is not suited for this line of work. Although not at this level, he ought to be in customer service. Ben basically says the same thing, but in a polite way.

Episode 13 - That Was Very Greek of Us

Below Deck Med S1 - Julia and Hanna

A weary crew must work hard to keep up with an all-male group with their own demands for the final charter. After weeks of growing resentment, the sisters band together to confront their First Mate, Bryan. Everyone is ready to leave the Ionian Princess, but not before last-minute emotions come to light and the charter season ends in style.

Julia and Hannah talk about how Bryan had previously tried to get Danny fired for the same thing while openly encouraging Bobby to “get some titty action” in a relationship. Julia is upset that Bobby used Mattie’s name while Mattie could not defend himself.

Below Deck Mediterranean Season 1 Quick Facts

  • an American reality TV series 
  • developed as the first spin-off of Below Deck
  • aired on Bravo TV from May 3, 2016, to July 26, 2016
  • executive producers are Mark Cronin, Courtland Cox, and Nadine Rajabi
  • under the production of 51 Minds Entertainment
  • consists of 13 episodes 

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