Season 19 of ‘The Bachelorette’ was filmed on a cruise ship

Updated on August 04, 2022 11:15 AM by Emily Hazel

The Bachelorette Is Making History

"The Bachelorette" is truly making history this season as the two leads, Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia, set sail on their journey to find love, literally.

Season 19 Premiere

At the end of the Season 19 premiere Monday night, a teaser was shown of how Windey and Recchia's love stories will unfold as they date the same group of 32 suitors, including where the show will be filmed.

The Famous Bachelor Mansion

Typically, contestants bunk at the famous "Bachelor" mansion in Agoura Hills, Calif. up until about Episode Four. Then, the host, who is now former Bachelor Jesse Palmer, announces to the contestants their first international destination.

Shaking The Things Up In This Season

The lead and the contestants usually fly to the locations separately (on the last season of "The Bachelor," for example, the finale took place in Iceland). But this season, the series decided to shake things up this season and have everyone travel together. Here's what we know.

Filmed On A Cruise Ship

Yes, Season 19 of 'The Bachelorette' was filmed on a cruise ship specifically, Virgin Voyages. The opening shot of the clip featured a glimpse at some of the men on the deck of the cruise ship shouting "Gabby and Rachel!"

Windey And Recchia Cheered Into The Sea

From a different part of the giant ship, Windey and Recchia cheered into the sea, "We're the Bachelorettes!" Both clips seemed to confirm that the cast will board a cruise ship to reach various cities across Europe, and in Episode Four, the cruise ship made its debut.

The Season Was Filmed Aboard The Valiant Lady, One Of The Virgin Voyages' Ships

News that "The Bachelorette" slightly altered its travel format began to circulate in March when Reality Steve, who has posted spoilers on his website about the franchise for over a decade, revealed that he received an email stating Virgin Cruise Lines had canceled destinations for three weeks in April.

The Real Name

Reality Steve, whose real name is Steve Carbone, noted that the cancellations coincided with the filming for Season 19.

The Rumor

A Reddit user also posted about the cruise ship rumor around the same time. While traveling across the world on a luxurious ship sounds fun, it seems like it was more difficult than producers anticipated.

About The Past Month

Last month, former "Bachelor" Nick Viall shared on an episode of his podcast "The Viall Files" that he had heard about the maritime travel plans. The 41-year-old host said someone who works on "The Bachelorette" production team told him that Season 19 "was hell to film because they decided to have two Bachelorettes, like, last second."

The Gossips

He explained, "So their scheduling was for one Bachelorette. They had to jam it all in." Viall added that he heard producers do not expect to use the cruise ship format again. "Just because of the logistics," he said. "I think a cruise ship probably was the challenge." Filming might've been difficult behind-the-scenes, but based on the trailer, Windey and Recchia didn't appear to notice.

The Bachelorette Is Filmed In Europe

As a result, season 19 of 'The Bachelorette' is filmed in Europe. Throughout the clip, the women are laughing together as they go on dates in Paris, Amsterdam, and beyond.

Getting Engaged

"We are getting engaged!" the women sing as they dance and link arms in front of the Eiffel Tower. After the Paris-set episode aired, Recchia posted a photo posing near the Eiffel Tower. But there will be plenty of drama, too. As "The Bachelorette" emphasized multiple times during the premiere, no one was really sure how the process would work with two leads.

Journey To Find Love Together

One standout moment in the teaser showed multiple men rejecting Recchia's rose and expressing their interest in Windey. "This journey finding love together… it's messy," Windey said in a voiceover. "I just hope that for both of us it's worth it."