Celebrity passengers evacuated after ship runs aground
Passengers on a week-long luxury Galapagos cruise had to be evacuated after a Celebrity ship ran aground.
All 46 guests and 58 crew members were taken off the Celebrity Xpedition, said parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises.
"We are unaware of any environmental impact at this point but we will continue to check closely," it added.
Some essential crew members remained aboard as guests were picked up by sister ship Celebrity Flora ‘as a precautionary measure’.
An update on the ship’s condition will be disclosed soon.
According to the Ecuadoran newspaper El Universo, the ship ran aground at Vicente Roca Point, north of Isabela Island.
Responding to an alert sent by the ship at 5.40pm, members of the Ecuadoran armed forces and officials of Galapagos National Park arrived to find the ship partially stranded on a sandbar.
Passengers will sail on the Flora to Baltra, where hotels and return flights are being provided.
The Xpedition’s hull was not damaged, and the ship was refloated with the help of three service boats, El Universo said.
It will be towed to the Italbaca Canal, located between the Baltra and Santa Cruz islands, the newspaper reported.
Celebrity Cruises runs seven-night Galapagos cruises aboard three of its ships, the Xpedition, Flora and Xploration.
All of the evacuated passengers will receive full refunds and full credits for future Celebrity cruises, Royal Caribbean said.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements