Jasmine
A half-hearted experience…
Definetly go to Spicemas, but definitely choose another travel group. Constant itinerary adjustments means there’s a chance you wont end up doing what you signed up for. For example, our island tour day did not include a rum distillery tour or visit to Fort Frederick like our original itinerary included. It also seems when you originally pay for your fetes the money doesn’t immediately go towards buying the ticket as we were informed two days before Soca Monarch we might not be able this to attend and should get our own tickets (this was rectified the day prior to Soca Monarch but it makes you think)…. There is a lack of communication and harsh attitude from the owner- Roger in the recent weeks leading up to Spicemas and during the actual trip was disappointing. You send a large sum of money to the man, yet he is not responsive to questions or feedback, argues with attendees when given feedback and even restricts groupchat communications. Evidently there needs to be a bigger team as all the focus & work on carnivals that come before Spicemas result in the Spicemas attendees being somewhat neglected. Positives would be the people I met, the hotel I stayed at and Grenada itself, which are all things I could still be noting as positives had I planned this trip independently or with a different travel group. I did not feel welcomed to Soca Islands. My advice, take inspiration from the online itinerary and book things yourself if you are wondering where to begin & there is loads of great travel information online & on social media. I will be at Spicemas 2026 but not with Soca Islands. *EDIT / ADDITION IN RESPONSE TO REPLY FROM COMPANY* When it comes to communication, a proactive approach would be kore appropriate than everyone having to ask a question in hopes that one of us would get a response. In the first couple of days especially other attendees would ask me to ask you some questions as they felt they were being ignored. Groupchat restrictions also resulted in being unable to contact different people e.g delaying our buses when we were unaware of who we were waiting for and their contact information. Regarding the disagreement alongside two other attendees, you had informed us that one of us would be left behind at the hotel and the car would come back for one person who would then have to find us on the road. Therefore, we were reluctant to leave one woman behind. As 3 of us heard this it is hard to believe everyone in the situation heard wrong. It was not handled professionally, at the end of the day we are paying a large amount of money in exchange for a service. Being defensive instead of trying to understand the perspective and experience of women solo travellers and why we would feel so strongly about no woman left behind was not the way to go and again if communication and professionalism was clear throughout the trip, this is a misunderstanding that you would’ve ensured was cleared up almost a month later. Though attempts were made to limit interactions in groupchats, I am aware this disappointment is not limited to just my experience. I too hope things are better for the next group of Spicemas attendees joining Soca Islands as there is sufficient time to consider feedback.
Response from SOCA ISLANDSSep 1, 2025
Hi Jasmine, Thank you for sharing your feedback. I am truly sorry to hear that parts of your experience did not meet your expectations, as we always aim to provide seamless and enjoyable trips. You communicated with us solely via WhatsApp, and upon review, none of your messages went unanswered. I am sure you can confirm the same. Because of this, I am surprised to read that you felt there was a lack of communication or a harsh attitude. If some of my replies did not answer your questions adequately, I sincerely apologise. Regarding the island tour, we worked with the same provider as in previous years and expected the itinerary to remain consistent. I was unaware that certain stops such as the distillery and Fort Frederick were omitted, and we will be following up with the company accordingly. For the Soca Monarch tickets, I apologise for the uncertainty caused when it seemed there might be an issue. Although this was resolved before the event, I understand how unsettling that must have felt and we are reviewing our processes so this does not happen again. Finally, regarding the concern about arguing with attendees, I can only assume you mean the interaction among myself, you and one other person. After explaining to you and one other guest that there were two vehicles waiting to take the final three of you to the street parade (with space for two persons in one and one in the other) you and one other person insisted that the three of you be placed in the same vehicle, even though both vehicles were going to the same destination. The request for us to drop off and then return was not practical in the circumstances, and was an unusual expectation. However, if my explanation came across as argumentative in any way, please accept my sincere apology. That was never my intention. I am glad you enjoyed the hotel, Grenada, and the wonderful people you met. While I am disappointed that you will not be joining us again, I truly appreciate your feedback. It helps us to grow and do better for future guests. I wish you the best in your future Carnival adventures. Cheers, Roger




