Trivia / Carry On Cruising

• Blooper:
  • When Glad and Flo throw a quoit back and forth, not only does the quoit change between Glad's right and left hands, but also Glad throws it past Flo and onto the deck, yet in the next shot, it is once more in Flo's hand.
  • When Captain Crowther is knocked out by the soda siphon, First Officer Marjoribanks holds up his head while spraying him with water, yet in the next scene, Captain Crowther is once more left flat on the floor.
  • No matter where the Happy Wanderer docks, the quayside is always the same.
  • As Dr. Binn inspects the breathing of an unconscious Flo, whenever he says "In", she breathes out, and vice-versa.
  • When Bridget is at the table tennis table, First Officer Marjoribanks walks down the steps towards the table two times in two consecutive shots.
  • The volume and colour of the drinks Captain Crowther pours into his vase is inconsistent between shots.
  • Captain Crowther is given a triangular slice of cake, despite the fact that the hole it was cut from was rectangular.
  • When Captain Crowther is handed a letter, he puts it in his pocket twice in two consecutive shots.
• Cast the Runner-Up: Lance Percival recalls he had been put up for the role of Sam Turner before taking the role of Wilfred Haines from Charles Hawtrey.
• Completely Different Title:
  • Denmark: Girls at Sea.
  • Germany: The Ship's Cook is Seasick.
  • Greece: Mediterranean Cruise.
  • Hungary: Keep Sailing!/Keep Going, Captain!.
  • South America: Watch Out for the Cabins.
• Cowboy BeBop at His Computer: The back on the Australian VHS claims that Joan Sims stars in the film when in reality she had been unable to appear and was replaced by Dilys Laye.
• Creator Backlash:
  • Kenneth Williams wasn't impressed with the script, and wrote so in his diaries:
    Came back to flat, and read script of Carry On Cruising, the usual crap.
  • Norman Hudis liked Dilys Laye and Lance Percival, but would've much preferred to have Joan Sims (who he felt could play drunk better) and Charles Hawtrey in the film. Hudis also didn't think that he had a lot of material to work with other than Slapstick.
• Deleted Role:
  • A cut scene in the script mentions cruise passengers called the Johnson-Barclays and Auntie G.
  • Terence Holland as a handsome passerby.
• Deleted Scene:
  • Dr. Binn accidentally ripping off Glad's dress and revealing her underwear.
  • First Officer Marjoribanks trying to set up a bathing-beauty contest, and Glad trying to persuade Flo to enter:
    Glad: Why, any girl who wins a thing like this must be the centre of attraction for the rest of the voyage! You'll be able to take your pick! You could be engaged before we get back home - maybe even married - the Captain can do you, you know!
• DVD Commentary: With Carry On historian Robert Ross talking to Dilys Laye (Flo Castle) and Lance Percival (Wilfred Haines).
• Fake Brit:
  • The South African-born Sid James plays the British Captain Crowther.
  • The Australians Esma Cannon and Ed Devereaux play British characters - Bridget Madderley and a young Officer.
• Irony as She Is Cast: Liz Fraser and Esma Cannon couldn't swim. In the swimming pool scenes, the former pretended to by flailing her arms around.
• Non-Singing Voice: Dr. Binn's song to Flo wasn't sung by Kenneth Connor, but rather Roberto Cardinali.
• On-Set Injury: Dilys Laye was bruised and burnt after filming the scene on the gym rope.
• Real-Life Relative: Gerald Thomas' elder brother Ralph Thomas co-directed the film with him but was uncredited.
• Referenced by...:
  • The first Birds of a Feather Christmas Episode, "Sailing", has Sharon mention this film alongside several others set on boats when trying to guilt trip Tracey over cruise ship tickets.
  • The Endeavour episode "Cartouche" mentions a ship called the Happy Wanderer, the same name as the ship from this film.
• Stunt Double: Esma Cannon, who couldn't swim, had one standing by for the filming of the swimming pool scenes just in case Cannon couldn't do it.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Before Cruising was conceived, two films were planned but dropped: What a Carry On! (which never got past a title) and Carry On Smoking (set for filming but abandoned in case its release coincided with a Real Life fire tragedy).
  • The original idea for the film involved a touring holiday on a coach.
  • Eric Barker wrote the original treatment, then known as Carry On At Sea.
  • Plans to film on a luxurious Mediterranean cruise and in Gibraltar were considered but vetoed by Peter Rogers due to his phobia of overseas travel and budgetary reasons. At one point filming was also planned for Southampton, but this was dropped by the time production started in earnest.
  • This was the first film in the series not to feature Hattie Jacques, as she was ill at the time. As a result, she had no part written for her.
  • Dilys Laye replaced Joan Sims in the role of Flo Castle at very short notice just before production when Sims took unexpectedly ill after a long run of the play The Lord Chamberlain Regrets!.
  • The role of the ship's cook Wilfred Haines was originally intended for Charles Hawtrey, but was re-written for Lance Percival, after Hawtrey quit in a dispute with the producer over billing and the lack of a gold star on his dressing room door.
  • Kenneth Williams nearly joined Charles Hawtrey on the walk-out and only agreed to stay if given a pay rise.
• Working Title: Carry On Holiday and Carry On At Sea.

---