Summary
Highlights
Anastasia expresses feeling invisible due to her parents' obsession with her younger sister, Eleanor. All family activities revolve around Eleanor, and Anastasia's achievements go largely unnoticed. This year, Anastasia's dad promises her a choice for the family vacation, but Eleanor's input still leads to a compromise for a Panama cruise, leaving Anastasia frustrated.
Anastasia decides to enjoy the cruise on her own, independent of her family. At sunset, she meets Damon, a seemingly charming cruise ship employee who resembles the hero from her romance novel. He gives her a private tour of the ship, and they share a romantic kiss under the stars, making Anastasia feel like she's in a real-life romance.
The next morning, Anastasia's mom insists she spend time with the family. After a frustrating breakfast, Anastasia goes to meet Damon but can't find him. A crew member tells her no one named Damon works on the ship, making Anastasia question if she imagined him. She later finds Damon secretly handling expensive stolen jewelry in a cabin, revealing he had tricked her and was stealing from guests.
Damon explains he stole the jewelry to pay for his sick mother's surgery. While Anastasia is angry, she understands his motivation, given her own feelings towards her mother. She decides not to immediately forgive him but suggests hanging out in Panama when the ship docks.
In Panama, Anastasia initially feels guilty for neglecting Eleanor and decides to build sandcastles with her. She realizes Eleanor looks up to her and enjoys their time together. Her parents are pleased to see them getting along.
Anastasia decides to visit Damon at the hospital, but her mom again tries to stop her. At the hospital, Anastasia's visit to Damon's 'mother' reveals that Damon had lied about her being his mother and about her being sick. She realizes Damon is a thief and chases him. Eleanor, who followed Anastasia, trips Damon with a toy, leading to his capture by security. Anastasia finally bonds with Eleanor and her parents promise more compromise in the future.