Recently widowed Harriet Chance is shocked to learn that her late husband had planned a surprise Alaskan cruise before his death. Not someone who has ever been particularly adventurous, Harriet sets sail anyway, only to discover through a series of revelations that all is not as she thought it was. Amid the endless buffets and tacky lounge singers, between the imagined appearance of her late husband and the very real arrival of her estranged daughter, Harriet is compelled to take a long look back, confronting the truth about her past with heart, humor, and some ill-advised honesty.