The Dream departed Shenzhen Port on October 30, starting southern China’s first “cruise-to-nowhere” pilot cruise.
The two-night voyage makes Shenzhen the third port in China to launch a no-destination cruise pilot, after Shanghai and Tianjin. The ship left fully booked.
The pilot is being operated under guidelines issued by the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
For mainland travelers without a passport, a single-entry exit-entry permit can be obtained through the Nanshan district public security entry-exit office using a national ID card.
At the Shekou terminal, the embarkation process was more than 30 percent faster due to border inspectors using pre-declared passenger data through a single-window system, additional clearance lanes and digital verification.
Shekou Maritime Safety Administration applied a “one ship, one plan” protocol for the voyage, tracking the ship with AIS, CCTV and VTS systems, deploying patrol boats and drones, and coordinating joint inspections with customs and immigration teams.
Real-time weather data from 16 coastal observation stations was fed into the voyage monitoring.
Guangdong authorities said work is underway to bring a similar no-destination cruise pilot to Guangzhou.
In the first 10 months of 2026, Guangdong province welcomed 34 cruise calls and 138,600 passengers. It is also preparing for the upcoming debut of the Adora Flora.
