A Triple M radio interviewer in Adelaide told Mr Abbott the captain of the capsized Italian cruise ship wanted to know if he needed any help with his boat policy.
Mr Abbott replied, "Well, that was one boat that did get stopped, wasn't it?"
Captain Francesco Schettino is under house arrest, facing possible charges of manslaughter, abandoning ship and causing a shipwreck after he made an unauthorised detour from his programmed course that led his ship to slam into a reef and capsize off the Tuscan island of Giglio.
At least 11 people were killed and 21 are missing.
The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times have reported that Labor MP Rob Mitchell called on Mr Abbott to apologise for the comment.
"He has no boundaries and lacks judgment," Mr Mitchell was quoted as saying.
"You have 11 people that are dead and at least 20 people missing, and he is using this tragedy to make a tasteless joke.
"It shows he is unfit to be leader."
Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese told the ABC he did not want to dignify Mr Abbott's comment with a response.
He said: "This is a tragedy. People have lost their lives and we should not play politics with it, and I don't want to add to it."
Comment was being sought from Mr Abbott, who was in Adelaide for the Tour Down Under and was riding in the Bupa Challenge on Friday to raise money for cancer research.
