Warrnambool councillor accounted for after Australian man falls off cruise ship

Warrnambool City councillor Ben Blain and his wife Natalie are on the cruise ship, but he's confirmed they are both OK.

Cr Blain said the missing man was staying in a cabin just four doors up from him on the ship.

"Things were a bit crazy last night," he said.

"I didn't see anything but apparently he was on deck 15. They called "Oscar Oscar Oscar" about 11.30pm, then closed deck five.

"The ship did two circles looking. They obviously put out a Mayday because there were five other ships that appeared.

"They had everyone find who they were travelling with, it only took 15 minutes to narrow it down to him. They called his name five times.

"My understanding is they haven't found him."

The so far unidentified Australian man went overboard on the Quantum of the Seas about 11pm local time (early Wednesday night AEST), about 1400km south of the Hawaiian islands.

It's understood passengers were asked to go back to their rooms and make sure all their travelling party was accounted for, while bright lights swept the water to search for the reported missing passengers.

About 90 minutes later, the passengers were told they could leave their rooms.

The cruise ship, operated by Royal Caribbean Cruises, has been at sea for 15 days and was due to dock in Honolulu, Hawaii, soon after a recent visit to Tahiti.

Just hours before the man went overboard, there was a Dawn Service to commemorate Anzac Day on the ship.

A US Coast Guard Hercules helicopter has taken up the search, flying over the area where the man is believed to have fallen off.

The Coast Guard has also put out a call to the US Navy for aid.

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