Directed by Amy Force, the new film All Aboard For Love is the story of a blooming romance between a marina manager and a wealthy returnee in Otter’s Port, a place whose main tourist attraction is the Marlowe Marina. The plot revolves around Alison Marlowe, whose parents were the owners of the Marlowe Marina but retired and left Alison as the manager. She is soon to become its ex-manager, for she has her own dreams of working out on the ocean as a crew member on a cruise. Joel is a wealthy executive who returns to Otter’s Port, and they both become mutually attracted, but Alison’s plan to leave poses problems for them as well as the marina.
Spoilers Ahead
Plot Synopsis: What Happens In ‘All Aboard For Love’?
Sunny weather, beautiful people, and a marina to relax and forget about life’s troubles. All this is available in Otter’s Port, where the remarkable Marlowe Marina is a tourist attraction, but more than that, it’s a place that serves the community, providing a spot for recreation and bonding. Right in the thick of it all is its proactive manager, Alison Marlowe, who keeps the place together. Her replacement, Roger, has joined her, for she is to leave her current job and work for a crew at a ship that would be crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Everybody is a bit surprised that she would leave the managerial job to work with a small crew, basically demoting herself, and yet they support her pursuit of happiness.
Joel Cartwright, a wealthy banking executive, returns to Otter’s Port and is taken in by his pleasant memories as a kid and the soothing atmosphere of Marlowe Marina. He meets the dynamic Alison and immediately grows fond of her. He sees that she is surrounded by such warm and caring personalities that love and respect her, so she must have done something right. Indeed, she had. She had successfully managed the whole marina after her parents sold it to another company and retired in Florida. Alison lived alone but was never lonely. She had people like Hank, Daniella, Adam, and Cindy around her, and she was never desperate to find romantic love. Joel notices all of this and does not aggressively pursue her, as she is to leave in three weeks. Things get a little complicated when Alison finds out that he likes her.
Do They Grow Close?
Alison was busy with her work, even though she was leaving within a few weeks. Her work ethic was such that she couldn’t just leave the marina to Roger, who was part of the new management and also her replacement as the manager of Marlowe Marina. With the hectic schedule and overseeing the new changes being brought in by Roger, she doesn’t get time to notice that Joel was always looking for ways to be near her, looking for any opportunity to spend time with her. When Cindy points it out to her, she is flattered but doesn’t take it to be anything serious. Alison had already started on the wrong foot with Joel, mocking his wealth, not realizing he was listening. That doesn’t deter Joel, and he grows interested in her.
One day Alison gets a hold of Joel’s captain’s log and discovers that he has mentioned her name in one of the entries, describing her as the person who ties it all together at the marina. Without her, the place would lose its heart. After reading such a touching description, Alison couldn’t help but grow more affectionate for Joel, but at the same time, she suspected that it may just have been a momentary thing, implying he wasn’t actually serious. It would have bothered her if it was, which is why when Joel asks her out, she clearly lays out her plans for the future. She deeply loved the ocean, and this transatlantic cruise was her chance to get away from it all and go on her own adventure. Joel respected her dreams but persisted and managed to get her to come to an island, taking his parents’ boat. Next, they go to the drive-in theater and have their first kiss.
Alison knew the possibility of it just being a summer fling, yet she was exhilarated by the experience. She was losing her grip on her job as marina manager while Roger was busy changing its whole fabric, firing people left, right, and center. Alison goes to confront him and discovers something about Joel that breaks her trust in him.
What Does Alison Find Out?
When Roger fires one member of Daniella’s crew, Alison grows furious and goes to confront him, disturbing his chat with Joel. Roger blames the company’s policy for the changes he is making. Alison notices that the new management simply wants to eradicate the entire culture built around the marina. Seeing Joel, she asks for his support in her reasoning. Joel, instead of supporting her, points to his parents, who had bought the place just to maximize profit, and sides with Roger.
He didn’t know that by revealing this information so nonchalantly, he had broken Alison’s heart. She wasn’t just a manager around there; she saw the entire thing as her home. Although she was leaving for some time, she didn’t want the entire ecosystem to be ruined, which was exactly what was happening. From her perspective, Joel was now just a shark, strolling around Otter’s Port, buying one more property to fill his accounts. However, it wasn’t actually the case. Joel thought Alison must know that his parents were wealthy and that Waterways, the company her parents sold the marina to before retiring, was under the Cartwright Corporation. Joel tries to explain to himself that his parents are unaware of the cultural disruptions they are causing and that he was there to relax, not to disturb the marina’s culture. Seeing her so upset, Joel wanted to gain back Alison’s trust and, hence, decided to confront his father.
‘All Aboard For Love’ Ending Explained: Did Joel And Alison End Up Together?
Joel and Alison meet John Cartwright, and Joel clears the air to make Alison comfortable about speaking her mind to his father. John doesn’t care about the changes Roger is making. He is out for profit, and if the marina doesn’t increase revenue, he will have to shut it down completely. Alison, seeing Joel so vehemently oppose his father, realized that he wasn’t the evil person she was thinking of him to be. In actuality, nobody was operating from a wicked place. Even Roger was working in Otter’s Port only because his wife had asthma, and they needed to live in some place with clear air. Even he wasn’t out to destroy the marina. Talking it out with Roger, she began to understand the issues and resolved to make it right herself.
She first rehabilitated Hank’s restaurant and then got Daniella onboard again, who had resigned after Roger fired one of her crew members without informing her. All the major issues were solved before she left. Joel posed for her the final one: to leave or not to leave. She asked Daniella about the dilemma she was facing and the apprehensions she had in her mind, and Daniella replied that during a similar summer, she met her husband, and they spent 28 great years together. So, it wasn’t necessary that every summer fling be meaningless. Some can turn out to be special.
Alison takes her chance and hands Joel a journal where he can pour his heart out instead of using the captain’s log. She had told him that she was leaving, but it all depended on him opening the journal. She took the boat, which was going to take her to the ship, but Joel arrived just in time. He had indeed opened the journal and read Alison’s love letter to him. Joel reached out, and they both realized how much they loved each other. Their love was strong enough that Joel promised to wait for her at Otter’s Port while she returned from her dream of working on a ship traveling the ocean. On top of that, Joel revealed he had bought the marina from his father to stop the corporation from disrupting its culture. Alison and Joel had done it. They had found each other and helped each other grow and become better people. Joel had stood up in front of his father and made a mark in his eyes. Alison was following her passion, and Joel encouraged her flight, not pressuring her to stay. Soon they will meet, and with such a strong foundation, will hopefully stay together for the years to come.
