The film was shot in May 1989, on a small, weathered cruise ship that sailed for a week from New Orleans to Cancun, Mexico. It was going to the Miss Universe Pageant, and was filled with 50 past and present beauty queens from all over the United States.
These were the first film roles for Adam Sandler and Allen Covert. They have collaborated on almost every Sandler movie since.
The project went from concept to completion in three months. It was written in three days, cast in one day, prepared in two days and filmed in six days, with two additional days for pick-ups. The budget was a mere $800,000.
The camera crew forgot to bring a box of lenses on the ship, so the director of photography was forced to shoot with the wrong lenses.