The United Fruit Company was an American corporation that traded in tropical fruit (primarily bananas), grown on Central and South American plantations, and sold in the United States and Europe. The company was formed in 1899 and flourished in the mid twentieth century. Later becoming Chiquita, a great deal of the history of Puerto Armuelles revolves around the Banana Company’s presence here. This will be one of several articles about that history.
The United Fruit Company Steamship Service provided passenger and cargo ship services under the name of the “Great White Fleet” for over 100 years. The ships were painted white to reflect the tropical sun and help keep the temperature of the bananas lower, hence the name.
Puerto Armuelles is one of the ports.
These ships were originally intended only for carrying cargo. United Fruit soon discovered that it could make more profit by adding passengers. Each ship carried an average of 35,000 bunches of bananas and 50-100 passengers. These cargo-liners, known today as the “banana boats”, were instrumental in helping to establish what is popularly known today as the Banana Republics throughout the Caribbean, and Central and South America. They had a huge impact on the beginning of tourism to these areas.
United Fruit claimed their ships were built especially for luxurious tropical travel. Most cruises were 2 – 4 weeks and went from the U.S. to the Caribbean and Panama Canal, then Central and South America. Their cruise tagline was, “Where the Pirates Hid their Gold” and they promised romance at sea as you explored the coasts where pirates buried their treasures and performed adventurous deeds centuries ago.
Here is a description of passenger accommodations, from the book: A Short History of the Banana and a Few Recipes for its Use:
“The “Admiral” steamships operated by this company are American built twin-screw vessels, and are especially adapted to tropical travel. They have commodious promenade decks, cool and airy, well-ventilated staterooms situated on the main and hurricane decks amidships, thus insuring a minimum of sea motion. The dining saloon is located on the main deck well forward of the engine room, and removed from all disagreeable odors incident. Bathrooms are supplied with fresh or sea water and are at the disposal of passengers at all times.
The table is made an especial feature of these boats, and is supplied with every delicacy the northern and tropical markets afford.
The ships are furnished throughout with a perfect system of electric lighting and steam heating.
The stewards and waiters are unremitting in their duties and everything is done for the comfort and convenience of the passengers.”
From January 1933 to June1936, Puerto Armuelles was a port of call on the cruise ships from the California Coast. I was unable to verify any dates later than these, so I don’t know if the ships continued to come to Puerto Armuelles after 1936. The vessels that came here were: Antigua, Talamanca, and Chiriqui. The Ports of Call: Start San Francisco, Balboa. Return voyages: Balboa, Puerto Armuelles, Los Angeles, San Francisco.
After 108 years of operation, in 2007 Chiquita Brands International (the successor to United Fruit Company) sold the last 12 vessels of the famous Great White Fleet to Eastwind Maritime for $227 million, posting a profit of $100 million on the sale. Under the sale agreement, Chiquita has chartered 11 of the vessels back.
Now the Chiquita Brands shipping service is called Great White Fleet Liner Services Ltd. They still operate passenger cruises, with ports in Panama. Maybe Puerto Armuelles one day again?
To see more photos of the Great White Fleet on our Historical Photos page, clique HERE
Leia sobre potenciais planos para construir um novo porto de cruzeiros em Puerto Armuelles HERE
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Você pode me dizer se Great White Fleet da United Fruit Company tem um arquivo? Estou interessado em informações sobre o primeiro oficial a bordo de um navio chamado Turrialba volta 1918. O navio corria entre Jamaica e New York City.
Idealmente, Eu gostaria de encontrar uma foto do primeiro oficial — F.E. Wyatt. Existe um arquivo fotográfico de imagens Great White Fleet?
Qualquer informação que você pode fornecer será muito apreciado. Obrigado.
I have some scanned copies of the cruise schedules and the name lists of a few cruises my great grandparents went on. I can email them to you if you want.
That would be amazing Anne! Please email them to Editor@visitPuertoArmuelles.com Thanks so Much! Debbie
My father (Eivind Bornholdt) was a shipmaster with the Fruit Company from 1924 through 1960.
He was captain of the (in no particular order) the Limon, Quirigua, Heredia, Comayagua, others before I was born(1940). I spent a wonderful summer vacation in 1953 in Puerto Armuelles with Maurice and Emily Bostick. Can youhelp me with any information about my father, the Bosticks, The Davis family, or any of my father’s ships? Anything would be gratefully received.
obrigado,
Reidar
I will ask a few of the old timers and email you if I hear anything.
Do you have any old photos you’d like to share from the summer visit?
ai,,en,Eu não tinha uma câmera,,en, I didn’t have a camera.
I am interested in finding out if there are any records of two of my relatives (and possibly three) who were captains of any of the Great White Fleet ships of the united Fruit Company. Their names were:
1. Captain George Bingay McCrae/McCray who captained between 1899 and 1905
2. Captain Alexander McCrae who captained somewhere between 1915 and 1945
3. Captain Clare McCrae who captained between 1935 and 1960
Hola Mike,
Hopefully, someone who knows something will see this post and respond. I will ask a few old folks in town also and send you any info I come across.
Meu pai foi o primeiro engenheiro no Talamanka após a Segunda Guerra Mundial até cerca de 1960, então Organização de Teste de Navios para submarinos, então engenheiro nuclear no N.S.. Savana por muitos anos. Em seguida, aposentou-se do NRC como inspetor de usinas de energia.
Adoraríamos ouvir todas as histórias que ele se lembra sobre Puerto, ou fotos 🙂
Contact me at Debbie@visitPuertoArmuelles.com
Você pode querer falar com o historiador da Administração Marítima, que pode ter registros dos navios que eram americanos. sinalizado e, perhaps, as tripulações. https://www.maritime.dot.gov/outreach/history/united-states-merchant-marine-research-guide
Obrigado pela informação!
Meu pai George Zahniser, era capitão do USS Metapan, um dos navios menores que fazia reservas turísticas e também transportava bananas refrigeradas. O exército mapeou o navio como armazenamento refrigerado durante a guerra do Vietnã e ele sentou-se em Cam Ran (sp?) Baía ao redor 1963 por cerca de 13 months. Ele se aposentou logo depois disso. Ele trabalhava na empresa desde cerca 1946.
É interessante. Você tem alguma foto antiga que possa digitalizar e me enviar? Editor@visitPuertoArmuelles.com
Olá – Chegou nesta página enquanto tentava esclarecer informações confusas sobre uma lista de passageiros do navio Jamaica de 1951.
Esta lista específica mostra que todos os passageiros desta lista embarcaram de Nova Iorque em 6-25-1951 e voltei para Nova York 14 dias depois 07-09-1951. Tenho quase certeza de que a pessoa que estou rastreando foi a Cuba e voltou porque trabalhava lá regularmente como professor de piano desde 1928. O que acho interessante nisso é que a lista de passageiros quase faz parecer que o passageiro nem saiu dos EUA – tendo embarcado e desembarcado no mesmo porto. A realidade é que os passageiros provavelmente desembarcaram em Havana, passei algum tempo lá e depois voltei para Nova York. Me faz pensar se alguns dos passageiros dormiram a bordo do navio durante sua visita a Havana enquanto o navio estava sendo carregado de frutas. Você tem alguma ideia sobre isso?
Aqui está o link para a lista de passageiros em questão: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L94K-V99J-W?view=index&action=view
Eu realmente não sei sobre isso, mas um dos meus leitores pode possivelmente.
Eu não sei a resposta para isso, mas possivelmente um dos meus leitores faz.