While relaxing on a cruise ship, the X-Men face their usual problems with anti-mutant hostility. But the situation becomes worse when Amara/Magma becomes violently sick from being separated from land. When the new recruits attempt to help her, they inadvertently create a bigger problem — an impending eruption.
Tropes included:
- Bait-and-Switch: After the X-Men reveal themselves after use their powers to protect the island residents during a tremor, when it appears to repeat of what happened on the cruise ship it turns out the people are actually amazed and begin treating like heroes.
- Big "NO!": Storm, when Amara dives into the volcano to try and calm it down.
- Breather Episode: “Cruise Control” is a breather between the quite scary and grimmer episodes "Under Lock and Key" and "X23".
- A Day in the Limelight: Amara gets to have a prominent role in this episode.
- Convection, Schmonvection:
- No one seems to have any problems with the heat that should be radiating out from the lava. Granted, no one gets that close, but Storm flies right above the crater and has no problem. Presumably like Amara, this could hand waved with Required Secondary Powers.
- On the other had, subverted when Bobby conjures up an ice wall to block the lava and it only stops it for a second.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Initially, Storm thinks that Amara performed one of these, but it turns out her powers protected her, and she's totally fine.
- Laser-Guided Karma:
- The rude diner not only gets a little present from Tabitha, but is the first to get hit with water when the lobster tank spills.
- When some other passengers tell the X-kids to go away, Bobby uses his powers to lower the pool temperature.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
- Tabitha/Boom-Boom throws a small fireball at a complaining diner, causing a fire which forces Jean to reveal her powers to put it out.
- The main problem was caused by the younger recruits attempting to help Amara. It ended up almost getting a village flooded with lava.
- No Antagonist: In this episode, the X-Men don’t face any enemies, they are just try to enjoy their vacation.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished:
- Jean uses her mutant powers to put out a fire, and everyone gives the X-Men the cold shoulder because they've been outed as mutants.
- Subverted when the X-Men save the island village. For a moment, the villagers are silent and the X-Men fully expect to get shunned again...but then the villagers break out in applause and proceed to treat them like royalty for the rest of their stay there.
- Pet the Dog: Tabitha getting concerned about Amara and taking her ashore to cure her lack-of-land-sickness.
- Shirtless Scene: Bobby when walking by the pool.
- Shout-Out: Bobby/Iceman forms an iceberg in front of the cruise boat. As if there were any doubt, he then stands at the prow and yells, "I'm king of the world!"
- Sickeningly Sweethearts: Scott and Jean behave like this. Kitty and Kurt mock them by imitating them, daytime TV style.Kurt: Jean, darling, please accept this croissant as a token of my love!Kitty: Oh, Scott, you have such a way with pastry!
- Tag Along Kid: Jamie, which is why he's the only one not brought on the trip to St Sebastian Island.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: The X-Men get treated like heroes for once by the residents of St Sebastian Island, once they use their powers to save and protect when they the Volcano causes tremors.
- Vacation Episode: Taking place entirely during a cruise in the Caribbean.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Scott understandably gets angry at Bobby for his stunt with the iceberg (see Shout-Out above), shouting that stunts like that would expose them and ruin the trip for everyone.
- Written-In Absence: Rogue is absent due to her encounter with Mystique a few episodes ago.
