Greek rescue crews transferred about 280 foreign tourists to safety after their cruise ship ran aground in the Aegean yesterday, Greek officials said.

The small cruise ship carrying mostly US, Russian and Japanese tourists, ran aground north of the Saronic Gulf island of Poros about 50 kilometres south of Athens, but there were no injuries.

"The evacuation is finished and we are making the final checks to make sure everyone is safe," said a Merchant Marine ministry official who requested anonymity. The coast guard said two ships, a C130 transport plane and numerous fishing boats assisted the evacuation, while four coastguard vessels and a helicopter were standing by. Passengers were taken to Poros.

The ship, operated by the Hydraiki Naval company, was running day-long cruises in the Saronic Gulf. The coast guard said it was not yet known why it had run aground.

Last April, a cruise ship sank in the port of the Cycladic island of Santorini after running aground. More than 1,500 passengers and crew were rescued, but a French tourist and his daughter are officially missing and feared drowned.