Lead character Jamie Walsh was named after actress Jamie Lee Curtis and Mark Patton's character Jesse Walsh from Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddie's Revenge, known as the "Gay Sequel" by fans.
Karen's line on the promenade during her tour "one stop shopping and eating, everything you need at your fingertips" is a direct quote from Zombie : Le Crépuscule des morts-vivants (1978).
None of the series was filmed on an actual cruise ship, however some exterior shots were captured on Belfast's SS Nomadic at the historic Hamilton Dock.
The ship theatre is "The Romero Theatre" after the iconic horror director George A. Romero.
Vivian calls Karen "Aunt Lydia" in reference to The Handmaids Tale.