From Breakaway to Bake-away

What’s the must-have addition to the cruise ship experience these days? Broadway musicals, high-speed wi-fi, pillow menus and 3D cinemas have all staked their place alongside towel animals, singing waiters and the Baked Alaska parade.
But they come nowhere near matching the desirability of a cake shop. Allure of the Seas has its Cupcake Cupboard – where I was given a lesson in cake decoration (above) – and Royal Princess will have its own Pastry Shop in the Horizon Court buffet.
Cake Boy legend Eric Lanlard, who has created confections for David Beckham and Claudia Schiffer, will be travelling on two P&O cruises this year. The master patissier will join Atul Kochhar and Olly Smith aboard Azura during a Mediterranean cruise which leaves Southampton on April 27, and with Marco Pierre White on Adonia during a 28-night Caribbean round-trip leaving on November 22.
Latest to join the party is Norwegian Breakaway – in keeping with the ship’s New York home base and Big Apple theme, it will host Carlo’s Bake Shop to be operated by celebrity cakemaker Buddy Valastro.
Star of two TV series – Cake Boss, and Next Great Baker – Valastro runs the business founded by his family in New Jersey in 1910. Norwegian’s boss Kevin Sheehan is no doubt hoping that Valastro’s name will bring crowds flocking to the ship, just as the TV shows have boosted tourism to Hoboken.
The sea-going outlet will offer freshly-baked cookies, cakes and pies, such as Valastro’s Oreo, dark chocolate mousse and Purple Groovy Fondant cakes, Italian butter cookies, biscotti, an assortment of cupcakes, chocolate and vanilla cannoli, cream-filled lobster tails, strawberry cheesecake, chocolate truffles and tiramisu.
So who’s going to win the race to sign up Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry to take the Great British Bake Off to sea?