The Blue Dream Star cruise ship has been sold to a Turkish investor and arrived at Çanakkale's İçdaş Shipyard after leaving China.
Due to financial problems, the Chinese company Blue Dream Cruises has halted its operations, and the cruise ship named Blue Dream Star from its fleet has been sold to a Turkish investor. The ship, which has a capacity of 836 passengers, left China for Turkey and has arrived at the İçdaş Shipyard in Çanakkale. The company's other ship, Blue Dream Melody, is currently held in China due to debts, and there are plans for it to be sold at auction.
The financial crisis in the Chinese cruise sector has also impacted the Turkish maritime industry. As the future of the two passenger ships in the fleet of Blue Dream Cruises is being shaped, one of the ships has passed to a Turkish investor.
According to a news report by TradeWinds dated November 13, 2026, the cruise ship Blue Dream Star has returned to the Mediterranean under Turkish ownership.
The new owner of the ship is a company based in Istanbul.
According to records from Equasis reported by Cruise Industry News, the new owner of Blue Dream Star appears to be Exodus Ships, based in Istanbul.
It has been reported that Perla Ship Port Management is responsible for the commercial and technical management of the ship.
No statement has been made regarding the sale price, and there has been no official announcement from either party confirming the financial terms of the transaction.
A long journey from China to Turkey
Built in 2001 at the Blohm+Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, Blue Dream Star was first launched under the name Olympia Explorer.
The ship, which later operated under the names Explorer, Celestyal Odyssey, and Glory Sea, joined the Blue Dream Cruises fleet in 2020.
With a capacity of approximately 836 passengers, the ship departed from China in September 2026, heading to the Mediterranean via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
After making a technical stop at the Port of Salalah in Oman, Blue Dream Star reached Turkey at the beginning of November, arriving at the İçdaş Shipyard in Çanakkale.
The other ship is held in China due to debts
The second ship in Blue Dream Cruises' fleet, Blue Dream Melody, is being held at the Port of Beihai in China due to financial disputes.
Built in 2002 and previously operated under the name AIDAvita, this ship has a capacity of 1,218 passengers and was detained by court order due to an unpaid fuel debt of approximately $599,000.
Additionally, a legal process has been initiated for a claim of about $910,000 related to management services for the ship.
Following disputes with creditors, the sale of Blue Dream Melody at auction has been proposed. However, there is no verified information confirming that the sale has been finalized.
Hundreds of seafarers have not received their salaries
The financial crisis of Blue Dream Cruises has affected not only its ships but also its employees.
After the company halted its operations, the salaries and repatriation expenses of hundreds of seafarers could not be paid.
According to a statement from the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, the salaries and return claims of approximately 201 crew members, amounting to about 5 million yuan, were paid on June 24 following the intervention of the relevant authorities.
A new era under Turkish ownership
The sale of Blue Dream Star to a Turkish investor marks the beginning of a new era for the future of the cruise ship.
Although the ship has reached Turkey, it has not yet been announced under which company brand, on which routes, and when it will resume passenger transportation.
The program for the re-commissioning of the ship is expected to be clarified soon.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
