The story of a virtuoso piano player who lives his entire life aboard an ocean liner. Born and raised on the ship, 1900 (Tim Roth) learned about the outside world through interactions with passengers, never setting foot on land, even for the love of his life. Years later, the ship may be destroyed, and a former band member fears that 1900 may still be aboard, willing to go down with the ship.

Kreola arrives in Santa Domingo to join her photographer husband Andy. Although Andy is initially jealous of Marco, who is in town looking for his missing girlfriend who did not return from Santa Domingo with her coworkers after a girls getaway. When Kreola and Andy site the missing girl Iris in the company of their gruff, dominating sea captain Leon, Andy suggests Kreola distract him so that Marco has a chance of getting Iris back. Kreola scoffs at this but eventually does fall under Leon’s spell. Andy’s writer friend Jo Ann blames the island atmosphere for the tendency for puritanical Westerners to reject their inhibitions. When Andy and Marco cannot free their women from Leon’s influence, things get drastic.