New Turkish player enters the cruise sector

A new chapter has opened in the liquidation process of China-based Blue Dream Cruises, which suspended operations earlier this year due to a severe financial crisis and mounting debts.

According to information obtained by HaberDenizde.com, the company’s cruise ship *Blue Dream Star*, which previously operated East Asian itineraries, has been sold to Perla Gemi Liman İşletmeciliği ve Turizm Anonim Şirketi, a firm established in Istanbul in June 2026.

It has been learned that the vessel, which was brought to İÇDAŞ Shipyard for repair and maintenance, will begin operating in the Mediterranean starting next season.

Measuring 181 meters in length and 26 meters in beam, the 2,556 DWT ship—which has a capacity of 1,053 passengers—was built in Germany in 2001 under the name *Olympia Explorer* for the Greek cruise company Royal Olympic.

Affiliated with Aktiv Turizm

[caption id="attachment_120290" align="aligncenter" width="2000"] 3D Glass Logo Mockup by GraphicsFamily.com[/caption]

According to corporate records, the sole shareholder of Perla Gemi Liman İşletmeciliği, which was established in June 2026, is listed as Aktiv Turizm Seyahat ve Kargo. This company operates under Honest Holding, whose founder and chairman of the board is young businessman Cengiz Deveci.

The Astoria Grande detail

Also serving as the Honorary Consul of Paraguay in Istanbul, Deveci has held positions within the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), including Chairman of the Türkiye-Brazil Business Council and Vice Coordinator for the Americas.

With investments spanning hotel chains, aviation, and food and beverage, the holding has established a tourism and travel network across more than 90 countries, particularly in Latin America.

The best-known among Honest Holding’s cruise investments is *Astoria Grande*. Operating under Miray Cruise—another subsidiary of the holding—the vessel had been running routes between Russia and Türkiye until recently.

The other vessel is under arrest

The Chinese company’s other ship, *Blue Dream Melody*, remains caught in a legal seizure. Having sat idle for months at the Port of Beihai in southern China, the vessel is now being prepared for sale via auction by its financial lessor, China Development Bank Financial Leasing.

Having set out with the goal of creating a domestic Chinese cruise brand, Blue Dream Cruises suspended all operations in early January 2026 due to the cancellation of Japan itineraries, low occupancy rates on South Korea routes, and ticket prices dropping below cost to $99 per person.

Investigations following the collapse revealed that the company owed more than 50 million RMB to suppliers, staff, and contracted parties.

Approximately 5 million RMB in unpaid wages and repatriation expenses for 201 crew members stranded at ports were only settled in June following the intervention of the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration and the courts. The company’s pre-collapse attempt to sell *Blue Dream Melody* to a Russian operator had also proven unsuccessful.