An unimportant question about Bananas on HAL

[rkacruiser]

One of the things I enjoy on a HAL ship is the in-cabin fruit basket when a guest may select what fruit should be placed in the basket. I really enjoy bananas and always request them.

 

However, the quality of the fruit delivered rarely matches the quality of the fruit that I purchase locally. Even though the "skin" appears "normal" or at least "OK", peeling the fruit nearly always has a stem end that is dark/rotten and often dark, undesirable portions within the fruit. Why does this happen? Is it because of the way the fruit is stored on the ship? I enjoy well-ripened bananas, but not to the point that the fruit's flesh is dark/black.

 

Anyone have an explanation?

[chefestelle]

We have this problem up north a lot. Most of our supermarkets truck in produce from the States. Some don't even bother to switch to local in the summer. The produce ripens on the truck, not the vine, etc. So it is often appealing on the outside but deteriorating or rotten on the inside. I may be wrong but I suspect the same happens to those bananas.

[albingirl]

Bananas are actually, due to an old wives tale, or rather sailor's tale, bad luck on a sailing vessel. Anyone who regularly sails the high seas knows this, so I chuckle when I see the bananas on board.;)

[welove2cruise2014]

This applies to NCL (as that is the only line ive cruised thus far), but may apply to HAL/ other lines as well. When I attended a "ship operations" presentation onboard, one of the interesting things I learned was that when they are loading the fruit, they load fruit with up to 3 different levels of "ripeness".

 

Makes sense to me, since they're not exactly able to procure perfectly ripe fruit each day during the cruise, yet they need to present /serve the most ripe fruit they can each day!

Edited November 5, 2015 by welove2cruise2014

[Kamloops50]

One of the things I enjoy on a HAL ship is the in-cabin fruit basket when a guest may select what fruit should be placed in the basket. I really enjoy bananas and always request them.

 

However, the quality of the fruit delivered rarely matches the quality of the fruit that I purchase locally. Even though the "skin" appears "normal" or at least "OK", peeling the fruit nearly always has a stem end that is dark/rotten and often dark, undesirable portions within the fruit. Why does this happen? Is it because of the way the fruit is stored on the ship? I enjoy well-ripened bananas, but not to the point that the fruit's flesh is dark/black.

 

Anyone have an explanation?

 

The black spots maybe bruising from mishandling of the fruit. I have bought banana the look good but have black spots because the box was bounced to much during handling. I would complain if it happens again to room service.

[cruz chic]

The fruit used to be of excellent quality on the ship. Lately it looks like something they get in the bargain bin. It's not just Hal. That said grapes are usually pretty nice.

[chengkp75]

Bananas are funny things, and the cost to produce them is so little that shipping becomes the major cost. I used to carry bananas from Venezuela to the US aboard ship in refrigerated containers. If one of the refrigeration units failed, there was no problem, those bananas (which had ripened more than the others due to the temperature) were sold in Florida right away. The rest could be shipped out across the country, so there was no loss of product.

 

When a cruise ship loads several tons of food, there is really little chance of getting a supplier to correct a problem like overripe fruit, so like a PP said, the fruit is stocked in the coolers in three grades, depending on ripeness, of when they should be used. However, sometimes the amount of "use right now" exceeds the demand, and so the stuff gets just that much more ripe. The provisions crew go through the coolers daily and remove any product that is starting to turn, as this helps keep the balance from turning.

 

Fruit requires two things to ripen: temperature and CO2. Shoreside, they can control both (CO2 is given off by ripening fruit, and then the higher the concentration the faster the ripening) using fresh air intakes. On ships, the more common form is to use ozone generators that removes the CO2, but because the storerooms are larger than most shore retail outlets, and have a larger variety of fruit and produce (ripening at various rates) its just a little harder to control.

 

Frankly, I find the bananas sold in the US to be the least flavorful in the world. I get the little red finger bananas when I can, and these at least almost equal the small, tasty bananas that the rest of the world enjoys.

[take us away]

Love my bananas (and their potassium) but never have them in the cabin. Just too many bruised, over ripe and stinky ones in the fruit basket so I just find ones in the Lido.

 

Also heard about the various levels of ripeness for fruit and you can almost tell when they bring out the next 'batch' as the quality offered usually improves.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We like ripe bananas.

But on our recent cruise the bananas were green!! By the end of day 14 they were finally turning yellow.

[Topsham]

I spent 7 years in the banana trades on 'full reefer' ships. Not in container ships, this was all 'bulk' in cartons, but not on stems in the more older times. Bananas are a critical cargo. We lost 50% of a cargo.... our maiden voyage. Loaded in Davao. Two week passage and anchored off the Shatt a Arab waiting to discharge in Basrah. We expected a quick turnaround but there were over 100 ships at the anchorage waiting. Some waiting times were up to ten months! We thought we were safe... with bananas we could not wait. Quiet wrong. After seven weeks the ship was sent alongside. First thing the surveyors want a receipt of condemned cargo. BS! They didn't want the cargo! Bad old days in Iran. About 10% had stared to turn and then they had to take the cargo. Eventually they sorted and they took only 50%.... 5,000 tonnes. Sailed and went of Bahrain with a riding crew to come on board to discharge the rest of the cargo... at sea! Dumped the in the Arabian sea.

 

Reefer ships were great to work.... bananas, eggs, chickens, apples, grapes, oranges, beef, lamb, fish, lobsters! And just about everything else... explosives, cars, trucks, general cargo.... but reefer mostly.

Back to the problem in your cabin.... once it comes out of the fridge it you cannot wait. Might just be ready to ripen and turn. First day in the cabin... eat it. Next morning it might be done.

[chengkp75]

I spent 7 years in the banana trades on 'full reefer' ships. Not in container ships, this was all 'bulk' in cartons, but not on stems in the more older times. Bananas are a critical cargo. We lost 50% of a cargo.... our maiden voyage. Loaded in Davao. Two week passage and anchored off the Shatt a Arab waiting to discharge in Basrah. We expected a quick turnaround but there were over 100 ships at the anchorage waiting. Some waiting times were up to ten months! We thought we were safe... with bananas we could not wait. Quiet wrong. After seven weeks the ship was sent alongside. First thing the surveyors want a receipt of condemned cargo. BS! They didn't want the cargo! Bad old days in Iran. About 10% had stared to turn and then they had to take the cargo. Eventually they sorted and they took only 50%.... 5,000 tonnes. Sailed and went of Bahrain with a riding crew to come on board to discharge the rest of the cargo... at sea! Dumped the in the Arabian sea.

 

Reefer ships were great to work.... bananas, eggs, chickens, apples, grapes, oranges, beef, lamb, fish, lobsters! And just about everything else... explosives, cars, trucks, general cargo.... but reefer mostly.

Back to the problem in your cabin.... once it comes out of the fridge it you cannot wait. Might just be ready to ripen and turn. First day in the cabin... eat it. Next morning it might be done.

 

I started out doing time on a United Fruit ships carrying the old full stalks of bananas to the East Coast US. We did temperature and CO2 readings 4 times a day (actually coring a banana and taking "its" temperature). Sometimes the company would have us circle in the Atlantic until the price came up, and one time we dumped an entire shipload in the ocean because prices were so depressed.

 

Worst part was the spiders. For the first 3 days or so, as the temperature was brought down in the hold, the spiders would come out of the stalks. When you opened the door to enter, it looked like a horror movie there were so many of them. We kept a CO2 fire extinguisher handy, and gassed them quickly to keep them from overrunning the rest of the ship.

[WeLoveCruising]

I've always found that bananas have a small window of time when I enjoy them. For me, they often go from not ripe enough to too ripe sitting on my counter before I eat them. That's why we have so many frozen loaves of banana bread in my freezer chest ;)

 

I am wondering if it's just luck of the draw with what you get in your stateroom. I dont recall if they have fresh whole bananas at the Lido, but something tells me they do, or can certainly get you some. I think if I really wanted some in my room I might go there, select some that look about right, and take a few back every few days.

[Vict0riann]

My DH likes a banana every day for the potassium - but as you said, the fruit basket ones are often a bit past it! He usually tries to find a "buddy" - waiter in the Lido whom he trains to find him a nice one at breakfast, which he then takes up to the room to eat later. If it's a very green one, he may have to wait a day or two to eat it, but at least they are usually of better quality than the ones in the fruit basket.

[mcmarya]

I've noticed on longer cruises that whole bananas are often not available after while but sliced ones are. One morning they had some out that they were slicing--they were unsightly with brown skins, I think from being refrigerated? They tasted fine. Not sure if this is accurate but I wondered if they were refrigerating them to extend their life. I've done that myself, on occasion, and the skins do turn brown. The bananas definitely don't taste as good but are edible.

[chengkp75]

I've noticed on longer cruises that whole bananas are often not available after while but sliced ones are. One morning they had some out that they were slicing--they were unsightly with brown skins, I think from being refrigerated? They tasted fine. Not sure if this is accurate but I wondered if they were refrigerating them to extend their life. I've done that myself, on occasion, and the skins do turn brown. The bananas definitely don't taste as good but are edible.

 

The cool temperature in the fridge slows ripening, but with no air exchange, the CO2 level rises, and that makes ripening faster.

[SeaBands]

make good banana daquaries

[Aquahound]

One of the things I enjoy on a HAL ship is the in-cabin fruit basket when a guest may select what fruit should be placed in the basket. I really enjoy bananas and always request them.

 

However, the quality of the fruit delivered rarely matches the quality of the fruit that I purchase locally. Even though the "skin" appears "normal" or at least "OK", peeling the fruit nearly always has a stem end that is dark/rotten and often dark, undesirable portions within the fruit. Why does this happen? Is it because of the way the fruit is stored on the ship? I enjoy well-ripened bananas, but not to the point that the fruit's flesh is dark/black.

 

Anyone have an explanation?

 

Funny you should ask this because bananas were what we chose for our fruit and they were terrible. We ended up taking them to the bar to have them blended into a BBC. ;)

 

That said, come about day 7 or 8 of the 10 day cruise, the bananas were perfect. Funny how that worked. :confused:

[rkacruiser]

Thank you for all of the interesting responses! I learned something new today and received a couple of ideas as well!

[Boytjie]

make good banana daquaries

 

And we are back at the old blender thread! :D

[TheEmerson]

You can slice up the bananas and freeze them. I put them in the DW morning smoothies. Can thaw them for baking for later use.

[SilvertoGold]

Thanks for the interesting thread.

 

Some of it makes me glad I detest bananas! I know, I know, the only person ever on HAL to ask for the Banana Sundae with out the bananas.

[Topsham]

I started out doing time on a United Fruit ships carrying the old full stalks of bananas to the East Coast US. We did temperature and CO2 readings 4 times a day (actually coring a banana and taking "its" temperature). Sometimes the company would have us circle in the Atlantic until the price came up, and one time we dumped an entire shipload in the ocean because prices were so depressed.

 

Worst part was the spiders. For the first 3 days or so, as the temperature was brought down in the hold, the spiders would come out of the stalks. When you opened the door to enter, it looked like a horror movie there were so many of them. We kept a CO2 fire extinguisher handy, and gassed them quickly to keep them from overrunning the rest of the ship.

 

 

Banana ships are the best... and make good passenger ships also! First vessels had a full Reefer Engineer... or 'Chief Reefer'. Between the Mate and Chef Reefer the work was done... and plenty of 'probes' and lots of printout to show what was happening. My last company so reefer engineers. Apart from starting/stopping the plants it was left to the Mate. An old German reefer... beautifully designed and built... 1966. Way ahead of her time. The "Polar" reefers.

 

 

Spiders... never saw one in 7 years... thankfully to boxed fruit. Not even a rat!

 

One vessel... thankfully not when I was aboard, smoke alarms went off in the night. Smoke coming up the Kidde Rich system. The ventilation system was **** down and CO2 was flooded. Thought that perhaps an electrical fault... possibly from lights in the tween decks. Later opening they found six dead stowaways. Blocked in the stow by the stevedores in the previous port. They had a made a stove to heat some food and spilled the fuel. Very sad.

 

 

What United Fruit ship were you in?

[serendipity1499]

Thankyou Topsham & ChengKP for your interesting posts.. It's a shame you had to dump so many of your bananas..

 

Reminds me of the song - "Yes, We Have no Bananas" which was sung on the Jimmy Durante show in the 50's & 60's..:D That was one of the first songs my dear sweet Mom taught me when I was about 3 or 4, much to her chagrin.. I wouldn't stop singing it!:eek:

 

It's also been reported that Bananas were rationed during WWII when the British Govt. banned the import of them for about 5 years..They say that shop owners used to put that sign in their windows..

 

Just went into to check our bananas.. We hang them from a banana hangar made by our Friend... Must eat them up soon.. I'll remember to go up to the Lido when I want a good banana.

[TiogaCruiser]

So the spiders that came out- were they REGULAR spiders?

Back in the 60's a cousin bought a really big bunch for her growing boys. (Not sure where she got them). Once she got them home a tarantula came out and started walking across the floor. This was in urban Los Angeles, not the sticks.

[Topsham]

Nope, never saw spiders. The fruit is cut then sprayed and washed and then into cartons.... usually 20kgs cartons. Loaded and then chilled down to carrying at 12.5 to 12.7 C. They had better be bright green when you unload them!

 

Of course when in transit... the Chief Steward would help himself and add stock to his chill room... then would have then on the menu as "Cargo & Custard". Bananas from Central America... Cost Rico, Equador. Grapes from Valparaiso. Apples from Valparaiso and much better than from South Africa. Best grapefruit from Cuba!!!! Sunkist oranges from Long Beach. Lamb from Australia and New Zealand... beef from Buenos Aires, Fray Bentos and Montevideo. Grapefruit from Maputo. Chicken and Eggs from Tampa.

 

Excellent voyages. Never a dull moment. Rarely in a port in a stay like 8 hours on a cruise ship.... usually two days to perhaps ten days. Best of all... never know when the ship was going until at the charterer tell you!