The steamship Germania is setting sail from Bremen to New York, with a stop in Cherbourg. Dr. Veith is annoyed that he has been assigned to be the ship's doctor, as he would rather stay home with his family. His married friend and fellow ship's officer Baron von Luden tries to flirt with the ship's nurse, Morgan, but she is not interested. Veith says Morgan seems to have no friends and never leaves the ship when it is in port. Dr. Veith meets his old friend Dr. Bernhard, who is desperate to sail on the sold-out ship because his wife Sybil is on board, running away with her lover, the financier Alex Stevanson. Veith arranges for Bernhard to take his place. To Bernhard's surprise, his wife's cabin is empty; a maid suggests that she might board at Cherbourg. Milli Lensch, a winsome young blonde who is traveling in third class, but eager to make her way up in the world, flirts with old Edward Thorndyke. Thorndyke was once a wealthy textile manufacturer, but he was ruined by Stevanson and is now seeking to start over in America. Schultz, one of Thorndyke’s former employees and now a company owner, comes down from 2nd class to invite Thorndyke to take tea with him tomorrow. Thorndyke turns him down, but Milli is delighted to accept. After the ship docks at Cherbourg, Bernhard goes to his wife's cabin, but she locks the door and refuses to see him. Bernhard is called away by a medical emergency before he can break the door down. Meanwhile, Stevanson is very pleased to encounter opera singer Luise Marheim. Stevanson sends a telegram ordering the purchase of German-American Steamship shares, causing other passengers to also rush to buy the stock. When the third-class passengers want to pool their meager funds to do the same, Thorndyke reluctantly offers to handle the transaction. Milli enjoys dancing in second class, although she fails to persuade Schultz to buy her a present. When Schultz's business acquaintance, jewelry dealer Exl, comes along, she gets him to invite her up to first class. This disappoints an elevator operator who has fallen for her and promised to show her New York. After a fine dinner and champagne, Exl takes Milli to his cabin and tries to force himself on her in return for a diamond bracelet. She flees to the arms of her elevator operator and realizes that she prefers to be poor but honorable. After Bernhard delivers a baby, he confronts his wayward wife. She tells him she never loved him. When Stevanson tries to intervene, Bernard punches him and leaves. Stevanson then has his things moved to another suite, much to Sybil's distress. Sybil finds Stevanson dining with Luise. He tells Sybil their relationship is over and he will "write her a check" to be rid of her. In his stateroom, Sybil kills Stevanson with the pistol she stole from Bernhard's desk. Bernhard arrives moments afterwards and takes the blame. When Morgan cannot make him defend himself, she becomes greatly agitated and reveals that, five years ago, she had a husband and two children. After he left her for another woman, she tried to kill herself and her children. She was saved, but her babies died. Bernhard regrets that he did not meet her sooner. Sybil then jumps overboard, but not before leaving a note in which she admits killing Stevanson. Bernhard and Morgan decide to start a new life together as the ship pulls into New York. With Stevanson dead, the value of German-American Steamship shares plummets. The third-class passengers fear they are penniless – until Thorndyke reveals that he never invested their money.
, critic for The New York Times, was unimpressed, writing, "neither the story nor the dialogue live up to expectations.... Mr. Mendes was evidently not inspired by the script furnished him and he fails to give more than a haphazard conception of the movement of the vessel, after the first quarter of the film. The attempt at levity is feeble and the clock-work-like manipulation of the happenings is often rather wearying." He felt there were "one or two competent performances by the principals", but thought that Frank Morgan was miscast and George Brent was "not at his best".
