UPDATE 1-Greek cruise ship docks safely, after crack in hull

(Updates with ship docking safely)

ATHENS, May 8 (Reuters) - A Greek cruise ship carrying more than 1,200 passengers and crew docked safely at the Aegean island of Milos after discovering a large crack in its hull, Greece's Merchant Marine Ministry said on Thursday.

The crack, which is above sea level was discovered after the Aquamarine cruise ship left the island of Crete for a tour of the Aegean with 872 Greek and foreign passengers and 407 crew, it said.

"The ship has docked at Milos island, where inspectors will look at and repair the damage," a ministry official, who requested anonymity, told Reuters. "There is no danger. We see no reason at this point for passengers to disembark."

The Aquamarine, owned by the Louis Group LCL.CY, had left the Cretan port of Herakleion at 0800 GMT and shortly afterwards the crew heard a loud noise and discovered a 1 metre-by 30 cm hole on the side of the vessel, about 2.5 metres above the water level.

The official said all passengers were safe.

This is the second incident involving a Greek cruise ship since the start of the year, after a small cruise boat ran aground about 50 km south of Athens in March.

Last year, another Louis Lines vessel called the Sea Diamond, sank off the island of Santorini after hitting a reef near the port, forcing 1,500 passengers and crew to evacuate. Two French people went missing and are presumed dead.

Louis operates a fleet of 13 cruise ships around the Mediterranean. (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann and Renee Maltezou; Editing by Alison Williams)