Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Xpedition ran aground while sailing its regular itinerary in the Galapagos Islands Tuesday evening. All guests and crew are reported safe, and there have been no reports of injuries.
According to a statement from Celebrity Cruises’ parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the ship’s 46 guests and nonessential crew were evacuated to a nearby vessel as a precautionary measure and picked up by the Celebrity Xpedition’s sibling ship, the Celebrity Flora.
“We are unaware of any environmental impact at this point but will continue to check closely,” Royal Caribbean said. “We are assessing the ship’s condition and will update as needed.”
The Celebrity Xpedition is the older of Celebrity’s two expedition vessels positioned in the Galapagos Islands, an iconic ecotourism destination. The Celebrity Flora is newer, having launched this past summer. Last fall the Celebrity Xpedition received a number of updates to bring its onboard product more in line with the Celebrity Flora, with enhancements to all of the ship’s suites and staterooms, its IT systems, its dining venues, its Discovery Lounge and its crew areas.
The Celebrity Xpedition is a 100-guest mega-yacht. On the Celebrity Xpedition and the Celebrity Flora, Celebrity Cruises offers all-inclusive vacation packages to the Galapagos Islands ranging from seven to 16 nights, each incorporating a seven-night cruise with certified naturalists onboard.
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