Is carnival in Jamaica good value for money?
Last night I happened across a post about Jamaica carnival on Facebook.
Several comments drew attention to the fact that Jamaica carnival has bands launching 1600usd costumes. They also drew focus to the fact that Jamaica is a one day carnival and as such wasn’t good value for money.
This got me thinking,
IS CARNIVAL IN JAMAICA GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY??
Having some insight into the backend of carnival gives me a different view of this entire issue.
First of all, Trinidad carnival is THE mecca of carnival and all things carnival. If you love carnival, your best experience will likely be found in Trinidad. Argument on that front is DONE!
It will always be the best carnival in my eyes as carnival is ingrained into their culture. Think of it in the same way how Jamaica will always be the mecca and cutting edge of dancehall and reggae (no matter who wins the Grammy).
With that out of the way, let’s now talk value for money. I don’t think I need to show Jamaica to be the BEST value for money, but just to show that it is reasonable (average) as far as carnivals go. And it’s certainly not BAD value for money as far as one day carnivals go.
What constitutes value for money?
Masqueraders of course think, $2300 costume / 2days.
I think a little differently.
I think more like, $2300 cash / amount of consumables and bills
The extra day of mas will be 1. rental of several truck systems, 2. all the various staff and 3. the extra food and drink consumed.
Per person, the truck fees are negligible. Staff, especially security is more, but per person still a pretty small amount per day. The food …let’s say you eat 30usd worth of food per day.
Alcohol varies but say you physically drink 80usd of alcohol (the price the band is paying, not what you pay at a retail store). The extra day isn’t too much of that $2300. Let’s for argument sake say $200.
The COSTUME eats the bulk of that 2300usd. Buying expensive feathers and other raw materials and paying artisans to create the feathered backpack in exacting detail is expensive work.
China is great for producing affordable bodywear but it still costs money, and then there is shipping and duty.
So you see, if Trinidad carnival was reduced to only one day for some reason the costs of the experience wouldn’t really change significantly. I would estimate between 200-300$ less.
The (masqueraders money spent / day on the road) ratio would almost double but the (masqueraders money spent /consumables and bills)… minimally changed.
Is Jamaica decent value for money?
So with the above in mind I think that Jamaica IS reasonable in terms of what you physically get for your dollar on the road. But it just cannot, as a one day carnival, compete with a 2 day carnival in terms of the sheer length of the road experience of the masquerader. I also feel that It is unreasonable to expect the cost of Jamaica to be half a 2 day experience when the costumes are the current size, you get a good road experience, breakfast, lunch and in most bands, DINNER.
There is of course the variable and VERY important enjoyment factor. If at one carnival you have a transcendental experience…..it’s more value for money regardless of what’s on offer. I think this is part of the Trinidad X factor that has so many up in arms.
I for one eagerly await the week I spend in the glorious ecstatic embrace of Trinidad carnival. And I cherish that when it’s done, I don’t have to wallow in the depression of tabanca, but that I can almost immediately look forward to another FUN carnival with options as cheap as a 350$ t-shirt or as dazzling as a 1600$ feathered male costume depending on my whims and expendable income. It’s important to note that the lunch spot in Jamaica is often more built out with actual seating and amenities. Some bands even have large comfortable air conditioned areas. This doesn’t even include the ease of flying in, housing, transport, cost of food, fetes etc.
To be fair…the new expensive Frontline costume in Jamaica look bigger and more intricate than the cheaper ones from years ago. And it’s also important to consider the price of flights, hotel etc.
Jamaica carnival as a wholistic week long experience is still much less expensive but provides a great time.
It worth it man! 🙂
I’ve done both for years. Jamaica is a shorter route, one day, and I missed the dinner portion as its never been communicated as an offering in the two bands I played with. The built up rest stop is nice, but not needed.
I played front line for two jamaica carnivals because it was the cost of a backline tribe costume for trinidad. The trinidad influence to jamaica carnival has done too much damage to the cost proposition jamaica used to be. It was a good first timers carnival for those dipping their toe into playing mas, but for those prices might as well just play trinidad.