The story for "Booze Cruise" was inspired by a friend of B. J. Novak's who had gone on a booze cruise. Novak told Daniels about the trip, and Daniels then proceeded to write an episode about it. The episode featured the third and final appearance of Katy, portrayed by Amy Adams. The filming of the episode was a departure from the norm of the series; filming took place on an actual boat and because of this, many cast members got seasick. "Booze Cruise" received largely positive reviews from critics. The episode earned a Nielsen rating of 4.5 in the 18–49 demographic and was viewed by 8.7 million viewers.