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, click HERE
Read about potential plans to build a new cruise ship port in Puerto Armuelles HERE
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你能告诉我，如果联合果品公司的大白舰队拥有存档? 我感兴趣的信息，副驾驶乘坐叫回图里亚尔瓦船舶 1918. 船舶牙买加和纽约之间跑了.
理想的情况下, 我想找个副驾驶的照片 — F.E. 悦. 是否有大白色舰队图像的摄影档案?
你可以提供的任何信息，我们将不胜感激. 谢谢.
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.
谢谢,
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?
Alas, 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.
转到故事类别档案 1960, 转到故事类别档案, 转到故事类别档案. 转到故事类别档案. 转到故事类别档案.
转到故事类别档案, 转到故事类别档案
Contact me at Debbie@visitPuertoArmuelles.com
您可能想与海事管理局的历史学家交谈，他们可能有美国船只的记录. 标记和, perhaps, 船员们. https://www.maritime.dot.gov/outreach/history/united-states-merchant-marine-research-guide
感谢您的信息!
我的父亲乔治·扎尼瑟, 是 USS Metapan 的船长，该船是从事旅游预订和香蕉冷藏运输的小型船只之一. 越南战争期间，军队将这艘船绘制为冷藏库，他坐在金兰 (sp?) 海湾周围 1963 大概有 13 months. 此后不久他就退休了. 他自大约以来一直为该公司服务 1946.
那很有意思. 你有没有旧照片可以扫描并发给我? Editor@visitPuertoArmuelles.com
你好 – 登陆此页面时试图澄清牙买加号邮轮乘客名单上令人困惑的信息 1951.
这份特殊名单显示，名单上的所有乘客均于 6-25-1951 并返回纽约 14 几天后 07-09-1951. 我很确定我正在追踪的人去了古巴然后又回来了，因为从那时起他就经常在那里担任钢琴老师 1928. 我觉得有趣的是乘客名单几乎让乘客看起来根本没有离开美国 – 从同一港口登船和下船. 我现实乘客最有可能在哈瓦那下船, 在那里呆了一段时间然后返回纽约. 让我想知道，在访问哈瓦那期间，船上正在装载水果，一些乘客是否在船上睡觉. 你对此有什么见解吗?
这是相关乘客名单的链接: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L94K-V99J-W?view=index&action=view
我真的不知道这个, 但我的一位读者可能会.
我不知道答案, 但可能我的一位读者会这样做.