Coming home for Carnival

Every year, thousands of people travel to TT to take part in the cultural phenomenon that is Carnival.

People come, not only for the two-day street festival celebrated in Port of Spain, San Fernando and several towns, but for the events surrounding it.

Numbers from the Central Statistical Office (CSO) survey of 3,134 visitors in 2024 said people visited TT for an average of 13 days during the Carnival period. From as early as January, fetes and cultural events like Panorama fill the TT calendar making it a destination, not just for tourists but for returning visitors like, as the song says, “Lorraine,” who comes home for Carnival.

With the large influx of tourists, visitors and returning nationals come to TT for what is arguably one of the greatest festivals in the world.

But
there are several costs attached.

Industry professionals said to get the fullest experience of the festival including fetes, cultural events, food and accommodation, it could cost up to US$10,000.

“That is the cost for someone who doesn’t have family down here,” said Ronnie and Caro band leader Ronnie Mc Intosh. “We didn’t even count transport into that.”

The CSO said in 2024, the visitors surveyed spent $45.1 million, with $13.8 million on accommodation and meals and $20.4 million on entertainment.

Get your tickets early

Travel agents said that people get their airfare tickets and hotels booked as early as possible – as early as Ash Wednesday – for the following year.

Travel agents explained that while the prices of flights would not necessarily change, the number of people who come to TT for Carnival would mean that flights, hotels and accommodation would be booked much faster than other seasons during the year.

One travel agent said for flights to TT from Miami from February 26-March 5 on Caribbean Airlines, the cost would be around $8,089 (US$1,189). While searching he found one trip that had multiple stops for less.

“Flights via Suriname, then Guyana, then into TT, that’s about $6,059 (US$892.19) and flights from Miami to Panama, then Panama to Port of Spain, then back to Panama and then Miami, cost $4,392 (US$646.72),” one agent told Business Day.

“Airlines would not sell all their seats on the entire aircraft for the same price. The cheapest price for a flight to and from Miami is about $1,898. They will sell ten seats at that price, then another ten at $2,500, then another ten at $3,000 and another at $4,000.

When booking hotels and accommodations it is also absolutely necessary to make arrangements as early as possible.

Business Day called the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain and an attendant said for the Carnival season all 422 rooms are booked almost a year in advance.

Asked if hotel rooms were available, the attendant said that all hotel rooms were booked for this year’s Carnival in 2024.

She said bookings for Carnival 2026 will be opened within the week after Carnival this year.

Bookings for airbnbs and guest houses are also locked down for Carnival.

“All the places we have on Monos Island (an islet off the north-western end of Trinidad) and in the Port of Spain area, have all been booked out since, actually, a year-and-a-half in advance,” a travel agent said.

Making a mas

Playing mas may account for a large amount of the budget for a visitor. Top-tier mas bands such as Harts and Yuma could amount to thousands of dollars.

A representative from Yuma said costumes for the sections in the band cost an average of $5,495.

"Each costume has a different price. If you go on to the website and you hit costumes, each costume has different prices based on the costume and the add-ons,” she said

Each section has a hardline option, high quality costumes with all accessories and add-ons, a midline one, less detailed costumes with only a few add-ons and a midline two, a basic costume.

Sections in Yuma such as the Bae-Go went for $6,295 (US$984). The package includes a wire or midline bra, a high v-cut bikini or thong, a jewelled crown and a costume that covers the neck, shoulder and arms, upper thighs and lower legs.

The Yuma website said it had add-ons available with the individual backpack being priced at $5,065 (US$791), the hardline plus backpack going for $4725 (US$738), hardline backpack costing $3,365 (US$526) and the midline backpack for $1,325 (US$207).

The Lapis Azure, a section in Harts mas band, went for $5,795 (US$927). The costume itself included a bra, bottom, belt, crown, a neck-piece, a pair of wristbands and lower leggings. The costume package included lunch for both Monday and Tuesday, security, DJs, rest stops, on-site paramedics, mobile restrooms, a fitting room with costuming sizing samples and access to the Harts Cool Zone.

It also had add-ons available including a feathered tail for $2,375 (US$380), a large backpack for $3,075 (US492), a medium backpack for $1,150 (US$184) and others.

Timing is also important for buying Carnival costumes, as all these sections are sold out, according to their websites.

The websites also had instructions for a minimum downpayment of $2,000 (US$320) for male and midline costumes and $3,000 (US$470) for hardline costumes. They also require downpayment for add-ons.

Mas band organisers have often made it a point to remind the public that they are paying for the entire experience. Organising the entire band including catering, security and even the wee-wee truck, comes at a cost. One organiser, who did not want to be named, said it is something that most customers forget.

“Those are the things (prices and costs) that most masqueraders don’t consider. They think that you just have to pay for beads, a panty and a bra. But you have to pay all those behind-the-scenes costs that some people don’t factor in,” the organiser said.

Even for J’Ouvert, the cheaper option, costs are a key factor. For Lovelace mas designed by Che Lovelace, packages start at $690 and can go up to more than $800 per costume.

The J'Ouvert kit included a t-shirt, waterproof fanny pack, cup, whistle, band and a goodie bag full of surprises. The band plays in the Woodbrook and St Clair areas and will feature the Laventille Rhythm section.

Lovelace said even though the inputs are significantly smaller compared to large mas bands they still pay around 30 different entities out of their revenue.

“The internal administrative structure comprises at least six admin staff, and of course our traditional listing of service providers.

“The focus is to keep the amenities and the practical aspects of the band solid and satisfactory while putting the focus on the experience – the music, colour and so on.”

'Lorraine' talks prices

One visitor, lets call her Lorraine, says she stays in TT for a few months a year, but mostly works and lives in San Francisco and Florida.

She told Business Day her overall costs in 2023 were around US$5,000.

“…And that is even being somewhat local. I ended up paying so much because I decided I want to stay in town, closer to the vibe. That year had the Epic Carnival Crew, so I did that, and that was like around $2,500 for accommodation. So that's where my costs really skyrocketed. Well over the years, I really got better at financing for Carnival.

She said she saves a lot of money by having her own house and car here and she has been able to save some money on fetes with the biggest one that she went to this year being Monday Madness with headline act, Machel Montano

“I just did Feteyard by Lost Tribe, Kaiso Fiesta beside that.”

She said she spent about $2,500 in parties, with the biggest cost coming from Montano’s fete.

“The fete wasn’t all-inclusive, so we had to buy our drinks,” she said. “We spent about $150 on drinks there. We didn’t buy any food there. I bought a roti before the fete.”

She said the highest cost for the season was paying for the costume. She spent $10,861 (US$1,600) for a costume in a big band. She opted not to play J'Ouvert in order to put her full energy into playing mas, but she said she was surprised by the cost of the costume.

“It's completely ridiculous,” Lorraine said. “It's not sustainable. I’m sure these mas bands, well the big ones at least, are making a crazy profit.

“I know they are outsourcing their costumes to China for manufacturing, for one thing. If they were keeping it local and paying a seamstress I would not mind, because people are trying to live, but knowing that they outsource the manufacturing is pretty ridiculous to me.”

She said every year she tries to reduce her costs for Carnival, so next year she will most likely play with a small band.

Lorraine said, despite the high prices, Carnival is an experience like no other.

“I think there is just a spirit of enjoyment during Carnival that you can’t experience anywhere else. Some would even say it is a spirit of freedom.

“Outside of that, like, when you look at different people, and like how operate, they're just very joyous. It's like the whole country takes over.

“When I did Hollywood carnival and other diaspora carnivals, it didn't have that energy, because it was just like a small pocket of us trying to create this vibe. We were confined to the boundaries of whatever street we could go on. It was limited.

“In TT it feels like we could do anything and have a great time.”