Plot
After serving all his working life with the 'South Star' line, exclusively in cargo ships, Albert Ebbs is finally given command (abeit temporarily) of the SS Queen Adelaide, a cruise liner sailing from London to Sydney. An excellent seaman. he finds that he now has many social obligations that he does not have the skills to fulfill. He must preside at the Captain's Table, host cocktail parties, judge beauty contests and dance with the lady passengers. He must also cope with amorous widows, young couples who want him to marry them and a blustering ex-major who claims to have the ear of the Chairman of the shipping line.
To add to his woes, most of the officers and crew, led by the Chief Purser, are actively on the fiddle. The Captain doesn't fully realise this until the last night of the cruise, when champagne being served is revealed to be cider, with the crew pocketing the considerable profits.
All comes out well - just. The Captain finds himself engaged to be married to an attractive widow, the Chief Officer is also engaged to a young heiress and the larcenous officers are arrested by Sydney police.
The Captain's Table is an institution in a cruise ship. The captain dines there, but the fuss is about who he is dining with. Being invited to the Captain's Table is regarded upon as an honour. The criteria for obtaining a seat around the captain's dining table may vary from ship to ship, and are in general not made public.
Read more about this topic: The Captain's Table
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