Many of the younger cast members from "alternative comedy" backgrounds attempted to improvise their own material, but director Gerald Thomas angrily vetoed all their attempts, as he wanted this film to be true to the spirit of the prior Carry On entries. However, in the interests of fairness this also meant that Thomas had to forbid improvising by the few remaining Carry On veterans in the cast, something he later admitted worked to the film's detriment.
As critically panned as the film was, and as embarrassed as most of the cast were by the finished result, it somehow made more money at the UK box office than either of the dramatic Columbus films from 1992, 1492 : Christophe Colomb (1992) and Christophe Colomb: La découverte (1992).
The scene where Jim Dale and Bernard Cribbins arrive in America was filmed at the same place, Frensham Ponds, near Farnham, Surrey, as the Bernard Cribbins/Kenneth Williams scene from Les Révoltés du Vénus (1964). Not only that, but the same rowing boat was used.
This is the only "Carry On" film not to feature any actors who appeared in Allez-y sergent! (1958), the first film in the series.
Jon Pertwee stated in his memoirs and interviews that he thought had been offered a role in Ridley Scott's film 1492 : Christophe Colomb (1992) and was very upset to discover it was a Carry On film.