Below Deck Down Under is making some major changes for its upcoming third season, following a shocking incident that occurred in Season 2.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the controversy involved bosun Luke Jones, who allegedly locked himself naked in the cabin of an unconscious female crew member after a night of heavy drinking. Producers had to intervene to remove him, and Captain Jason Chambers swiftly fired him the next day.
Now, as the series heads into its next season, Captain Jason has emphasized that safety protocols are being strengthened. Speaking to EW, he noted that production teams are reinforcing “the policies and procedures that they had already in place and [were] used.”
One of the biggest changes? A major reduction in alcohol consumption. “I don’t know if I can say this, but there was a massive drop in alcohol intake,” Captain Jason revealed.
Following the incident, NBCUniversal Entertainment implemented stricter training and alcohol policies—not just for Below Deck Down Under, but across the entire Below Deck franchise.
Despite these changes, Captain Jason assured fans that the drama will still be very much alive. “The drama was still there. Crew still actually dropped their guard a little bit,” he teased.
Meanwhile, in Below Deck Sailing Yacht, Captain Glenn Shephard has taken a slightly different approach, allowing certain crew members to accompany guests for nights out—albeit with a strict two-drink limit.