The film was originally intended to star Bill Murray and John Cleese. In the end, their roles were filled by Robin Williams and Peter O'Toole respectively.
The director and many of the main cast were alumni from SCTV (1976). These included actors Andrea Martin, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, Joe Flaherty, Robin Duke, director Harold Ramis and writer Brian Doyle-Murray.
English comedian John Cleese was originally slated to appear in the movie in the Governor Anthony Cloyden Hayes role played by Peter O'Toole. Cleese was also slated to play Sir Malcolm (played by Leonard Rossiter) in the then just released other tropical island comedy Water (1985).
The movie was inspired by a disastrous Club Med vacation that two of the film's four story writers, friends Chris Miller and David Standish, had experienced together, this in turned formed the basis for this picture's original screenplay around 1980 which had the title of "Club Sandwich".