Passengers had to be evacuated after a Celebrity Cruises vessel suffered a soft grounding in the Galapagos Islands.

The incident occurred on Tuesday night when the 2,900-gt Xpedition (built 2001) hit a sandbar off Isabela Island, parent company Royal Caribbean said.

A total of 46 guests and 58 crew were transferred aboard a Celebrity sistership.

The Ecuadorian armed forces and the Galapagos National Park were notified.

Three vessels were called in to aid the evacuation.

The ship suffered no damage to the hull, Ecuadorian newspaper El Universo reported.

Royal Caribbean confirmed it was later refloated.

"We've seen no signs of environmental impact and continue to monitor the situation closely," a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean told Newsweek.