Survitec announced that it has received awards for its Seahaven lifeboat, according to a press release.

Introduced in 2022, Seahaven was developed through collaboration across Survitec’s aerospace, defense and maritime divisions and targeted toward the cruise market.

The inflatable lifeboat concept is designed to evacuate up to 1,060 passengers in under 22 minutes, surpassing the SOLAS safety requirement of 30 minutes, and is aimed specifically at the growing cruise ship market. It also frees up deck space.

Claude Sada, chief operating officer at Survitec, said: “Cruise ships are reaching unprecedented sizes, accommodating up to 10,000 passengers and crew but traditional lifeboats take up a lot of prime ship-side real-estate that could be better used to enhance the passenger experience.”

Seahaven eliminates 100% onboard lifeboat drills and accidents, the company said.

It also significantly reduces the crew’s burden, with a 93% reduction in LSA upkeep time, dropping from 150 to just 10 hours. This has led to safer evacuations, improving evacuation times by up to 33%, according to a statement.

The Seahaven lifeboat system is designed for improved performance in heavy weather conditions. Its Panamax-compliant design allows it to fit in areas with large tidal variations, such as Alaskan berths, while freeing up deck space on cruise ships. Developed over five years, the system uses helical slide technology for a secure descent, can deploy with minimal crew intervention and automatically inflates.

“Everyone involved in the Seahaven project must take enormous pride in celebrating these award wins. Colleagues across our organization, from designers, technicians, finance and marketing to countless others, have played an integral part in this success,” added Sada.