In 2016, the media website ComingSoon named the film's opening scene one of the greatest in horror film history.
The scene on the foredeck where the captain and the passengers are dancing, and the scene in the ballroom, was a common tradition at the time near the end of a transatlantic voyage. These were usually held near the coast as the ship approached the end of the trip, and these balls were called the "Captain's Ball".
The theatrical poster for Ghost Ship was inspired by the poster for Death Ship (1980), another film about a haunted ocean liner.
Francesca Rettondini didn't speak English, which required director Steve Beck to get a translator on set so that she could understand his commands. This is also why she's not given much dialogue in the film, and what few lines she does have are in Italian.
Shooting took place in Gold Coast, Australia. Filming scenes set in the ocean was particularly intimidating for the cast and crew, as there was a rather large amount of shark activity at the time.