General Emergency Signal

The General Emergency Signal is a signal used on board cruise lines in times of emergency. When the ship is in port, passengers have a Boat Drill in case of actual emergencies. The signal composes of seven short blasts on the PA system and one long blast that summons passengers to collect their life jackets and proceed to their muster stations. There is also an abandon ship alarm which is used should it become necessary to abandon ship, after all other efforts have been exhausted. This signal is activated by safety personnel if an emergency is detected. It is usually activated from the bridge by a button on an alarm control panel.