Captain Kate McCue is famous as the first American woman to serve as master of a major cruise ship, but guests should be glad she’s the captain of Celebrity Beyond rather than one of the ship’s culinary staff. In a recent attempt at simple baking, her closest critic has deemed her efforts less than acceptable.
Captain Kate McCue’s Baking Attempt
In 2015, Kate McCue became master of Celebrity Summit, making history as the first female to command a cruise mega-ship. She has since captained a number of Celebrity Cruises vessels, and today is in command of the line’s most recent ship, the Edge-class Celebrity Beyond.
While as captain she fulfills a number of roles to oversee the ship’s entire crew and staff, the vessel’s safety, and guests’ satisfaction, she also has other duties on board to one very special crew member – Bug Naked, her pet Sphynx cat, who shares her quarters and is often seen out-and-about onboard in a feline stroller.
Recently, Bug Naked celebrated her seventh birthday, and Captain McCue opted to bake the cat’s special cake herself – with hilarious results.
McCue purchased a specialty “birthday kit for cats” to bake a turkey-flavored cake with yogurt frosting, in a fun fish shape. Made with organic ingredients, able to be microwaved, and with a festive candle to finish the recipe, the idea seemed simple enough.
In a video that has generated almost 100,000 views, McCue documents her efforts and the special challenges involved with baking a pet cake on a cruise ship.
“I’ll need a third cup water – I don’t have any measuring cups,” McCue said, hitting her first obstacle just after opening the package.
She also lacked non-stick spray for the fish-shaped mold, but improvised with olive oil (which is safe for cats in small amounts). Bug Naked’s food measuring scoop, which is one-quarter cup, sufficed to estimate for the water measurement.
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Cooking the cake was another unexpected surprise. The 2-minute, 30 seconds baking time was more than enough to create a powerful and not entirely pleasant odor.
“I’m not going to lie, that is disgusting,” McCue said, suppressing a gag as the cake was cooking. “That smell… Ugh.”
McCue frosted one of the three resulting cakes and decorated it with a ring of treats before adding the candle and presenting it to her favorite feline. Bug Naked, however, was less than impressed at the results. While she did sniff over the cake, she only ended up eating a few of the treats.
Of course, with Celebrity Beyond featuring 15 restaurants and 5 cafes, not to mention room service and additional bars and lounges, perhaps it would be best to get Bug Naked a special take-out treat for her next birthday!
Pets Onboard
Cruise fans who may want to celebrate with their own pets onboard should take note that Bug Naked is a very special exception to the cruise line’s no pets policy. Only service dogs are permitted onboard Celebrity Cruises’ ships, a policy that is similar to most cruise lines.
Guests who do plan to bring a service dog onboard need to notify the cruise line’s Access Department when booking and no later than 30 days before sailing to arrange for a “relief area” for the animal.
Guests should also review all of Celebrity Cruises’ guidelines and policies for service dogs prior to booking a cruise or setting sail.
Read Also: Service Dog Earns 700 Cruise Days With Holland America Line
All appropriate documentation, including vaccination records and any documentation required by ports of call, is the sole responsibility of the guest. The exact requirements for bringing a service dog onboard may also vary based on embarkation port and overall cruise destinations.
