Royal Caribbean cruise horror: Search suspended for Australian who fell off ship near Hawaii

The search for an Australian man who fell overboard from a cruise ship in the Pacific Ocean has been suspended as fellow passengers spend their final hours at sea.

Witnesses claim the man fell from the top 15th deck of the Quantum of the Seas ship 1400 kilometers south of the Hawaiian islands late Wednesday night.

The search resumed for the missing man as the Royal Caribbean-operated ship, which left Brisbane 16 days ago, headed towards its final destination, Honolulu.

The US Coast Guard spent a day scouring the ocean and from the air before deciding to suspend the search.

Large overnight swells have hampered searches, making the search ‘almost impossible’.

Discussions with the man’s next of kin and the Australian consulate and relevant case information helped inform the decision.

The Quantum of the Seas ship (pictured) is nearing the end of its voyage, hours after a man went overboard

‘The coast guard has made the difficult decision to suspend the active search for the passenger aboard the Quantum of the Seas,’ search and rescue mission coordinator Kevin Cooper said in a statement.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is preparing to assist the man’s family.

‘The Australian Consulate-General in Honolulu is working closely with local authorities,’ a spokesperson said.

‘We acknowledge the ongoing distress for the man’s family and loved ones.’

A Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircrew completed five searches over the course of six hours while on scene.

‘They were able to cast out a few life rings,’ US Coast Guard Ryan Fisher said prior to the search being suspended.

‘Just so if he was in the vicinity in the water, he could be able to grab onto them.’

A radio call-out was also issued to all vessels in the Pacific Ocean south of Hawaii to keep a lookout for him.

The desperate search for the missing Australian has the suspended by the US Coast Guard. Pictured is the late-night search launched by Quantum of the Seas after the man went overboard

The Quantum of The Seas has since arrived at Kona on Hawaii’s Big Island where passengers have been allowed to spend time ashore.

While some guests commended how ship crew handled the situation, many others described the mood onboard as somber

‘It’s a shocking situation to be in,’ Susan Whittington told Nine News.

Another man added: ‘Couldn’t really fathom what happened.’

The ship departed Brisbane on April 12 and had been due to dock in Honolulu on Friday after stopping at the Pacific island of Tahiti.

The ship remains on schedule to dock in Honolulu on Friday local time.

Passengers onboard claim the man fell from the top deck (pictured)