Cropover 2018 Review; Fetes, Pricing and Costume
As a recent Soca newbie, I decided on Cropover 2018 for three reasons:
1. It's one of the few Caribbean carnivals in the school holidays
2. Cropover 2017 looked amazing
3. I've heard great things
I actually booked a package (aeroplane ticket and bed & breakfast in St Lawrence Gap- always check Trip Advisor reviews) via British Airways at the beginning of November 2017. This means I booked about 9 months in advance, I'd recommend booking no later then 9 months in advance of any long-distance carnival, you'll save more and also have more time to pay the amount off. After much research about Cropover I had the following key dates:
1st Monday in August: Kadooment Day- the day people wear the costume they have chosen, have a loong time to party with soundsystems down a route
The Saturday morning before Kadooment day is Foreday Morning- the day people go to the capital of Bridgetown with a band and through the city centre about 2am-7am
April-May- when the band costumes launch
From visiting my favourite carnival blog, it is important to know Caribbean carnivals are expensive- so save well in advance. In the format of another great carnival blog, here is my experience of Cropover 2018.
We also got served breakfast dockside when the fete ended. I would definitely do this fete again- as you can see from the cheaper price it was a cooler fete. Next time I would bring an actual cooler rather then just two plastic bottles and a cup (most of which I had before thanks to the 90 minute delay. Fail). The price was definitely worth it.
After a day to recover, I was off to Lifted. This was in Bushy Park- very far from The Gap. When I arrived there I could tell it was going to be a great experience. There was a live band with a Mudda Sally dancing, as well as a DJ playing. There were plenty of portaloos (#youllseewhyImentionedthislater) and various drink tents with the spirits labelled e.g. Mount Gay, Henessey etc. This was an all inclusive fete- meaning drinks were included the whole night, a tip if is this is your 1st one (which it was for me) drink water/ice between your alcoholic drinks. The performances and DJs were great...Lil Rick performed as well as Bunji Garlin. I loved that you were given a cup on entry and that also you could bring your own cooler (not sure why you would do that but hey). The price was definitely worth it and I'd do it again. I also did Elevate Events Lost in Paradise- unfortunately after I purchased that ticket they decided to do cheaper combo tickets for USD $110 argh.
I KNOW a lot of people chose to go with Caesar's Army instead of Kontact but to be honest after their long application process I grew very disinterested. Kontact was more affordable and I wanted an "authentic Bajan experience" this would involve me meeting with the band in Spring Gardens and then going through the city centre - dancing , drinking, paint throwing etc. It was also slightly more affordable. The only thing I found difficult with Kontact was communication- they stated their Foreday pick up was the weekend before I arrived in Barbados and they never announced a date for international masqueraders. Despite this and some technical difficulties at the start of the parade I would 100% go with Kontact again. Their opening times were on their Instagram and I decided to chance it on the Wednesday (bank holiday, Emancipation day) and go to their bandhouse, luckily I collected my package then. The package included breakfast, unlimited drinks and a costume which you choose (wish I went with the bodysuit). Music, vibes, band everything was on point although I did find it strange that some people did not want to be covered in paint and came in fresh trainers *shrugs*. The big downside is most of the foreday bands do not have toilets which I find very strange. Like BAJE had, Kontact should have an information sheet with meeting times, breakfast details, truck details etc.
This was another all-inclusive fete, I was very impressed with the organisation and decor on entry. They did change the times and again the venue was quite far- Bellevue plantation. The DJs were good overall, however I would not do this event again. By this time on my 4th fete, I had seen some of the DJs before and honestly it was a bit repetitive. I wish I rested and did Limerz the next day. Nevertheless, I loved the performances the most - Jagwadechamp, Lil Rick, Fimba and Skinny Fabolous all performed. I was disappointed in Deejay Puffy- by his name and Instagram I expected him to you know, DJ but instead he MCed and danced. Not sure what that was about. They had fireworks and finger food and a cocktail drinks menu all were a nice touch.
So that's my review. I would definitely do Cropover again and I am currently considering doing it for 2019.
My tips would be:
1) Take public transport where necessary- it is about 75p per ride and the buses go across the island. Taxis are expensive.
2) Sightsee- make time to see the island it is beautiful and full of beaches. Go to Oistins and eat some macaroni pie, go to the local restaurants and visit sights such as Bathsheba, Harrison's cave and the botanical gardens etc.
3) For the fetes - especially the big ones such as Limerz- follow them on Instagram and/or Facebook this is the quickest way to find out when the tickets are released.
4) Get used to the music- from about April I was searching for Bajan soca and Cropover playlists (these came out June onwards) to familiarise myself with the music
1. It's one of the few Caribbean carnivals in the school holidays
2. Cropover 2017 looked amazing
3. I've heard great things
I actually booked a package (aeroplane ticket and bed & breakfast in St Lawrence Gap- always check Trip Advisor reviews) via British Airways at the beginning of November 2017. This means I booked about 9 months in advance, I'd recommend booking no later then 9 months in advance of any long-distance carnival, you'll save more and also have more time to pay the amount off. After much research about Cropover I had the following key dates:
1st Monday in August: Kadooment Day- the day people wear the costume they have chosen, have a loong time to party with soundsystems down a route
The Saturday morning before Kadooment day is Foreday Morning- the day people go to the capital of Bridgetown with a band and through the city centre about 2am-7am
April-May- when the band costumes launch
From visiting my favourite carnival blog, it is important to know Caribbean carnivals are expensive- so save well in advance. In the format of another great carnival blog, here is my experience of Cropover 2018.
FETES
Honestly, I chose fetes based off my friends' experiences and trying to get a good amount of sleep/beach in between. The cheapest fete I paid for was USD $30 and the most expensive USD $100. All of the fetes were 95% if not 100% soca- Trini, Bajan, St Lucian, Grenadian were the most common types I heard. There were some complaints that not enough Bajan soca was played and when I came home to be honest I can agree, I found a lot of Bajan soca pre 2018 and even 2018 was not played.Colorz Bikini Sunrise 1am-7am Wednesday 1st August $45
Colorz is also a Foreday and Kadooment day band. I was SO excited for this fete, being that it was my first one and on a boat. I had a great time- but quickly learnt what Bajan time is - I do not think we boarded till 2.30am. The music was great and there were performances including Stabbylive. I mean look at this sunset:
Elevate Events, Lifted Thursday 2nd August 6pm-12pm $75
Jabnival Friday 3rd August 12am-7am $40-45
This was a paint fete near Pirates Cove, the theme was red so the paint was too. This fete was great fun - you were given a red paint bottle on entry. The music was good but more diverse- instead of 90-100% soca, it was more diluted with bashment. I had a lot of fun- warning do not wear anything that you can't throw away- I wore the wrong bag :/. By 5am I found that they were repeating songs and that's a cue for me to leave, 30/40 minutes later I did but people were still having a lot of fun.Foreday Morning, Kontact Saturday 4th August 1am-7am $97.50
I KNOW a lot of people chose to go with Caesar's Army instead of Kontact but to be honest after their long application process I grew very disinterested. Kontact was more affordable and I wanted an "authentic Bajan experience" this would involve me meeting with the band in Spring Gardens and then going through the city centre - dancing , drinking, paint throwing etc. It was also slightly more affordable. The only thing I found difficult with Kontact was communication- they stated their Foreday pick up was the weekend before I arrived in Barbados and they never announced a date for international masqueraders. Despite this and some technical difficulties at the start of the parade I would 100% go with Kontact again. Their opening times were on their Instagram and I decided to chance it on the Wednesday (bank holiday, Emancipation day) and go to their bandhouse, luckily I collected my package then. The package included breakfast, unlimited drinks and a costume which you choose (wish I went with the bodysuit). Music, vibes, band everything was on point although I did find it strange that some people did not want to be covered in paint and came in fresh trainers *shrugs*. The big downside is most of the foreday bands do not have toilets which I find very strange. Like BAJE had, Kontact should have an information sheet with meeting times, breakfast details, truck details etc.
Elevate Events, Lost in Paradise Saturday 4th August 8pm-2am $75
This was another all-inclusive fete, I was very impressed with the organisation and decor on entry. They did change the times and again the venue was quite far- Bellevue plantation. The DJs were good overall, however I would not do this event again. By this time on my 4th fete, I had seen some of the DJs before and honestly it was a bit repetitive. I wish I rested and did Limerz the next day. Nevertheless, I loved the performances the most - Jagwadechamp, Lil Rick, Fimba and Skinny Fabolous all performed. I was disappointed in Deejay Puffy- by his name and Instagram I expected him to you know, DJ but instead he MCed and danced. Not sure what that was about. They had fireworks and finger food and a cocktail drinks menu all were a nice touch.
Baje, Kadooment Day Monday 6th August 8am-6pm $350+
This was BY FAR my favourite day. I had a blast- it was a very HOT day- to the extent that they had cold showers along the 6 mile route and I went under when I had the two opportunities to do so, in my pricey costume and trainers. Honestly- I wore SPF50 and STILL got a deep tan from this day alone. The day starts in the National Stadium which to be honest they could get rid of . It was difficult to get to, difficult to find the band and no such directions were visible. When I did get to BAJE I took some pictures, found my people and had some of the breakfast. We then crossed the stage (to me this is strange as in London we do this at the end but then again it was nice to cross the stage when our costumes were pristine and the sun was not at its hottest), early. I would HIGHLY recommend BAJE- the costumes were comparatively affordable, my pickup in Limegrove took 10 minutes and the music was great as well as the security. I loved my costume- next time I would not do a wire bra and would love a headpiece, the gloves on a 34 degree day did not get worn. Kadooment day is an unforgettable experience - can't really put it into words. The breakfast was about 4-5 pm from my recollection- again not signposted (Barbados needs to do this!) thankfully the people who I was with knew what to do/where to go. The food was a lot including macaroni pie.Amped Cruise, Tuesday 7th August 12-4pm $30
This was a cooler fete, but honestly by this day and at this time I did not want any alcohol. This was a boat party and I did not like the boat one bit, it was the Jolly Roger and it was SO rocky. I loved the performances- I finally saw Marzville. I would not do this cruise again- I'd just take this time to recover.Recovery Cruise, Tuesday 7th August 10pm $100
Honestly after the amount of fetes I'd done and the price I needed a little persuading to do this cruise but I am SO thankful I did. I had SO much fun- the music was on point (although it did take a while to warm up but then again after Kadooment no surprise). I saw Lil Rick perform again (got a picture this time) and Hypasounds. This was an all inclusive fete and the boat was great - the same one as Colorz Cruise, the MV dream chaser- a meal was served first with a rum punch on entry. A cup was given to each person which they could fill with drinks at the bar. I would 100% do this fete again, it is worth the money and it's the perfect fete to end with- BUT don't let the name Recovery fool you lol.So that's my review. I would definitely do Cropover again and I am currently considering doing it for 2019.
My tips would be:
1) Take public transport where necessary- it is about 75p per ride and the buses go across the island. Taxis are expensive.
2) Sightsee- make time to see the island it is beautiful and full of beaches. Go to Oistins and eat some macaroni pie, go to the local restaurants and visit sights such as Bathsheba, Harrison's cave and the botanical gardens etc.
3) For the fetes - especially the big ones such as Limerz- follow them on Instagram and/or Facebook this is the quickest way to find out when the tickets are released.
4) Get used to the music- from about April I was searching for Bajan soca and Cropover playlists (these came out June onwards) to familiarise myself with the music
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