Below Deck Season 11 has finally wrapped up, and it was one hell of a ride. This season was all over the place, with multiple firings and crew replacements. There were also several boatmances onboard, which Below Deck fans know can get complicated quickly.
While Season 11 didn’t feature as many boatmances as previous seasons, the ones it did have took center stage. The first big boatmance of the season was between Ben Willoughby and Sunny Marquis, which got pretty messy. Barbie Pascual and Kyle Stillie also had a complex relationship, which had its ups and downs. Finally, Chief Stew Fraser Olender surprised himself by falling for a charter guest named Steven.
One of these boatmances in particular was worth rooting for, while the other two fell short. Keep reading to find out our definitive ranking of the Below Deck Season 11 boatmances!
Fraser and Steven: Below Deck Season 11’s best boatmance
While he may be a bit dramatic at times, there’s no question that Fraser helped to make Season 11 great. The Chief Stew provided viewers with laughs from start to finish. However, the most intriguing part of Fraser’s storyline this season was his unexpected romance with charter guest Steven.
Steven was interested in Fraser from the moment he stepped onboard, which made Fraser giddy. When Fraser found out that Steven wanted a New Year’s Eve kiss from him, he went about things the right way. Fraser immediately went to Captain Kerry Titheradge, and asked for permission to kiss Steven. Captain Kerry said that it was alright as long as it was what Fraser wanted to do. As a result, Fraser and Steven shared a steamy kiss at midnight.
After their New Year’s kiss, Fraser and Steven continued to talk. Fraser said that it had been a while since someone he was into reciprocated that interest, as Steven did. It’s evident that Fraser has had a rough journey with love, so it was nice to see him find a connection with Steven. It’s not clear if Fraser and Steven are still together, but Fraser confirmed on a recent Watch What Happens Live appearance that he was in a relationship. Fingers crossed this one worked out!
Ben and Sunny: A messy Below Deck boatmance, but still going strong
Ben and Sunny were interested in one another from the start. However, no one expected their relationship to actually last. Throughout the season, Sunny became frustrated at the mixed signals Ben repeatedly sent her way. Ben seemed to be focused on just having a casual relationship with Sunny, while she was developing real feelings for him. On one occasion, Ben even claimed that he and Sunny lacked a connection he had previously felt with other women.
Toward the end of the season, Ben got more serious about Sunny. Before leaving the yacht, Ben told Sunny that he liked her. Sunny had been harboring serious feelings for Ben all along, but was hesitant to express them due to his mixed signals.
Ben recently announced that he and Sunny are still together, which shocked viewers. After a tumultuous relationship onboard, Ben and Sunny have now been official for over a year. Ben shared that he and Sunny have traveled the world together, and she even visited him in Australia for Christmas. While these two may have been frustrating to watch on the show, we give them credit for making it work!
Barbie and Kyle: A boatmance that Below Deck Season 11 could have done without
Barbie and Kyle were arguably the most frustrating boatmance to watch this season. From the jump, Barbie and Kyle had crushes on each other but struggled to communicate. Barbie in particular, was worried that her father wouldn’t approve of Kyle.
After admitting their feelings to one another, Barbie and Kyle just complicated things way too much. Barbie sent Kyle mixed signals, and acted into him one minute then ghosted him the next. At the end of the season, the two confessed their love to one another which made it seem like they could last. The next morning, however, Barbie abruptly ended things with Kyle. While he was upset, he admitted that he was relieved as well.
It was extremely frustrating to watch Barbie and Kyle, especially since Barbie couldn’t make up her mind. While Kyle seemed to genuinely like Barbie, it seemed like Barbie knew all along that Kyle wasn’t the one for her. Barbie got annoyed with Kyle on several occasions, and noted that her family likely wouldn’t approve of him.
Below Deck is available to stream on Peacock.
TELL US – WHICH BELOW DECK BOATMANCE WAS YOUR FAVORITE ON SEASON 11? WHICH ONE WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE?