After learning that every single family vacation they took were just artificial memories, Francine insists on going on a real one. The Smiths take a cruise, only for it to take one disastrous turn after another. Meanwhile, Roger tries to get into acting, but has trouble because he cannot cry.
This episode includes examples of:
- All for Nothing: After resorting to cannibalism, the Smiths learn they weren't in any real danger at all (though Becky's death still mainly happened out of bad luck).
- All Germans Are Nazis: Klaus says that there are lots of German sayings, but most of them involve genocide.
- Astonishingly Appropriate Interruption: After the family learn that their vacations were never real.Francine: Let me get this straight. All of our vacations, the only thing that ever brought this family together, have been a big, fat, fake lie?(Cheers are heard on the TV)Stan: YES! Yes to you, and yes to the game.
- Break the Cutie: When both Steve and Hayley end up using the goo so they can have alone time from the rest of the family, Francine completely breaks down, crying that she just wanted to have a nice Sunday dinner.
- Cassandra Truth: Stan shows Francine that the memory machines are being returned to the CIA. However, when she sees all the good things happening, like Steve having an attractive woman in his arms and Roger appearing as a performer on the ship, she becomes convinced that they're all still in the goo and jumps overboard in order to "wake up". It's only when her family joins her on a remote island and find out they are about to be hunted for sport when Francine finally realizes they are in the real world.
- Cruise Episode: Stan books a cruise for the family so that they'll finally do something real.
- Didn't Think This Through: Stan, Hayley, Steve, and Becky use a liferaft to look for Francine after she jumps overboard. However, Stan apparently didn't inform the crew of this emergency, leaving them stranded in the middle of the ocean.
- Due to the Dead: Stan initially can't bring himself to eat Becky's corpse, citing she was once a person with a background and life. Only when he realizes she's a registered organ donor does he give in.
- Fancy Dinner: Steve hosts one in which he and his friends wear tuxedos. Toshi plays the cello for ambient music and they drink PiBB Xtra as though it was wine. There's even a box of (presumably) chocolate cigars.
- Fantastic Racism: Steve puts the rest of the family in the goo so that he can have a classy dinner party with his friends. He mentions how he wouldn't let one of The Berenstain Bears marry his daughter, to which Snot agrees.
- Freudian Slip: Subverted with Steve."Becky, thanks for getting us this lifeboat. I mean, life boobs. Wait, no, no, I was right."
- Groin Attack: Francine threatens to do this to Stan for the rest of their lives together if they don't go on a real vacation.
- Here We Go Again!: After working in a seedy bar and being told he needs to make love to its overweight owner, Roger finally manages to cry on cue and the owner gives him money to start a new life. Roger leaves and after going around the corner decides he needs a drink...and he ends up in the same bar.
- Hunting the Most Dangerous Game: The Smiths and Becky end up on an island, only to find a group of men wanting to hunt them for sport. After the Smiths are shot, they find that the hunters actually use paintballs and the island is a stop on the cruise.
- I'm a Humanitarian: After Becky is killed by a cave-in, the Smiths eat her remains to stay alive. Hayley agrees, even though she's vegetarian, on the basis that she has had meat before. Stan initially resists, but gives in only after finding that she was an organ donor. The rest of the family are severely traumatized, especially when learning the truth behind them being hunted.
- Lotus-Eater Machine: The titular "vacation goo." Stan checks out the machines from the CIA, puts the rest of the family in them, and programs a vacation for them. After their disastrous cruise, the Smiths resort to using them again, this time as a family.
- Mrs. Robinson: Becky, the cruise ship's activities director. She's maybe twice as old as Steve, but notes that she's taken a lot of boys' virginity.
- My God, What Have I Done?: The Smiths are deeply disturbed to realize that they resorted to cannibalism when they were never in any actual danger.Francine: Well...nothing bonds a family like a...dark, horrible secret.
- Odd Friendship: Stan usually doesn't give Klaus the time of day, but when the rest of the family are in the goo, they enjoy watching the Georgetown Hoyas together.
- Poor Communication Kills: At no point were the Smiths informed that the hunt was actually a family activity until they lose. Even Becky wasn't already aware it was part of the cruise.
- Rule of Three: Stan, Steve, and then Hayley use the goo for their family and enjoy some alone time. Unfortunately, this causes Francine to break down in tears for having her family time denied, forcing Stan to make up for it.
- Serious Business: During one cruise activity, Becky announces that the winner will get cruise points with no cash value. Francine becomes determined to win those valueless points.
- Shout-Out: One of the paintball players is dressed as Kraven the Hunter.
- Slipping a Mickey: When Hayley asks Stan how he got them (Hayley, Steve, and Francine) in the goo vats Stan reveals that every year when he cooked the annual pre vacation pancakes, he spiked them and when the family was out cold he transported them to the basement and hooked them up to the memory machines.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Stan's Lotus-Eater Machine secret and the entire episode wouldn't have happened if Roger hadn't woken up Francine and the kids to ask where the martini mix was.
