A passenger onboard Pacific Dawn said there was no freak wave and nor was the ship listing when a woman fell off the cruise liner.
Ms An said suggestions the woman was knocked overboard by a wave were incorrect although she was unsure how the incident occurred on Thursday afternoon near New Caledonia.
There has been no official announcement about where she fell from, said Ms An.
"Unaware as to how she fell. The rails are all chest hight on me and I'm 5'4"," she said.
"There was no wave and we did not list during this time. They (P&O) haven't said where she fell from."
Ms An said said the parent cruise ship company cannot be faulted for the way it has handled the tragedy.
She said this was her 10th cruise with P&O, her 12th overall, and was "by far the worst thing I've seen happen on a cruise".
Ms An said there was a sombre mood onboard and passengers had been kept well-informed of the situation.
"The captain has asked for (the) privacy of the family which is being respected," told AAP on Friday.
"You cannot fault P&O for how they have handled this."
Ms An said passengers had been updated with developments from the outset.
"The captain and crew have been put in an unimaginable position yet have handled themselves professionally and with the respect to the victim and her family," she said.
The woman fell overboard about 4pm on Thursday, about 150 nautical miles west of New Caledonia, during a week-long cruise in the Pacific.
The search was called off on Friday morning.
The captain of the cruise ship announced to passengers that the woman had not been found and the ship was heading back to Brisbane.
The Pacific Dawn is expected to arrive at Portside Wharf at Hamilton at 6am on Sunday.
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