In 1945, a young Lithuanian nurse, a Polish teenager, and Florian, a young Prussian, are desperately trying to reach the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that offers a hope at freedom. Told in alternating points of view, these characters come to rely on one another for survival as the Soviets advance. What these characters do not know is that the fate of the Wilhelm Gustloff is one of the greatest tragedies in maritime history.