The new ships were larger than previous fruit carriers and designed for substantial passenger service and to take advantage of new mail carriage subsidies.

At the end of her naval service the ship again transported bananas, loaded during a stop at Puerto Armuelles, Panama, in transit from Hawaii to New Orleans for decommissioning which took place 29 November 1945.

The ship was immediately delivered to WSA's agent, United Fruit, for the process of conversion back to the company's commercial service.

In 1958 United Fruit transferred Talamanca to its British subsidiary Elders and Fyffes which renamed the vessel Sulaco and operated the ship until retirement in 1964.

[1] The company's ships were named for cities, provinces or mountain ranges in Central and South America.

[4][note 2] The six ships were ordered in August 1930 and built under the Merchant Marine Act of 1928 (Jones-White Act) for the United Mail Steamship Company, a subsidiary of the United Fruit Company, designed with specialized cooling and handling arrangements for transporting bananas.

Construction in U.S. yards was a result of the Merchant Marine Act and more liberal government support in the form of mail contracts.

Aft at the main deck level was a special hold for cargo such as meat requiring lower temperatures than the fruit.

Accommodations for 113 passengers in 61 rooms, all first class, with public areas that included a swimming pool and deck ballroom.

The ballroom had large windows making it practically open air and lighting to imitate moonlight.

[1] A turbo-electric transmission system with four Babcock & Wilcox oil fired boilers providing steam for two turbine driven General Electric (GE) generators and auxiliary generator sets for ship's power met contract requirements for sustained speed of 17.5 kn (20.1 mph; 32.4 km/h) and guaranteed 10,500 horsepower.

[note 3] Propulsion was by two 3,150 volt, 4,200 kilowatt, 5,500 horsepower at 125 revolutions GE electric motors driving twin 15 ft 6 in (4.7 m), 3 blade screws.

[1] Talamanca was launched 15 August 1931 in a twin ceremony with Segovia (hull #345) in which First Lady Lou Henry Hoover christened both ships with water gathered from Central American rivers.

Talamanca was delivered 12 December 1931, but Segovia burned at the fitting out pier to be rebuilt and renamed Peten in another ceremony with Mrs. Hoover on the anniversary of the launch.

[2] United Fruit placed Talamanca on express liner services between Central America and San Francisco along with Antigua and Chiriqui.

Shes spent the whole of June in the Mare Island Navy Yard, undergoing further conversion and some repairs.

She reached Pearl Harbor on the 16th and stayed there for five days loading fuel and stores before heading southwest on the 21st.

In all, Talamanca made 36 resupply voyages from Auckland to various bases in the South Pacific and back again, all of them relatively routine.

Overhaul and repairs were completed on 31 August, and after degaussing, compass compensation, and trials she began loading cargo on 3 September.

[3] Talamanca reverted to her original employment as a fruit carrier on 10 November when she loaded bananas at Puerto Armuelles, Panama, for the War Shipping Administration.