Saint Lucia Carnival fetes were a perfect blend of crazy, chic and pure fun! I felt well-rested for the most part in between fetes but partied out…how is that possible?

Here is a recap video! [like and subscribe xo]

Review timeeeee (finally)!

List of Fetes

1. Aura

2. Mess

3. Soak’t

4. Soca Raff Up

5. Indulgence

6. Soca, Sex & Alcohol (SSA) Cruise

7. Brazen

AURA

Type: Cooler Fete/ All Inclusive

Average Price: $28; VIP: $93

Location: Pigeon Island

Difficulty Level: Easy

The Best Of It: I had heard mixed reviews of Aura, so I was not sure what to expect of this fete. But it was my birthday and I was going to enjoy myself regardless…plus I got a free ticket with my Xuvo section. Getting in was easy for me as the VIP line was very short.

I appreciated the dedicated VIP area with premium drinks and small snacks. I definitely had my fill of Hennessy all night long and after my second drink, the bartender didn’t have to ask me. Customer service 🙏🏾

The party vibe was not in the VIP section though so I went for my drinks, food, pictures and went back to the main crowd - that’s where the lituation was. And what a fete it was! The DJs did an amazing job and got the crowd energized throughout the night. It reached its peak towards the end with people pelting waist, climbing poles and structures, destroying gates and carrying people. I was a bit overwhelmed to be honest. Yet, it was the perfect introduction to what ended up being an epic week.

The Worst Of It: There wasn’t much about the fete I didn’t enjoy but there were things that can be improved.

I liked the Candyland theme but the decor could have showcased it more. I did like the candy station in VIP and my sweet tooth was happy. I also liked the backdrop at the entrance. There was a photographer taking pictures, but sadly the pictures have never surfaced.

The food at VIP wasn’t the best. It was finger food at best, and not very filling. Meanwhile, there was proper cooked food a few feet away for sale. Since I had a VIP, all inclusive ticket, I was expecting that all services, food and amenities were included. It was deceiving.

The lines for general admission for people with electronic tickets was pretty bad. I hope they are able to get people inside faster next year.

I am obviously used to other locations/fetes that give you fete cups. I admit I was slightly disappointed that we were not given cups…at least the VIP crew.

Will I go back? Yes.

RATING: 4/5

Mess

Type: Drinks inclusive, j’ouvert fete

Average Price: $35

Location: Somewhere in Cap Estate

Difficulty Level: Easy

The Best Of It: Mess was fun! It was not my best jouvert experience, but it was a good time. There was a lot of excitement and we arrived at a great time - the sun had just risen and the energy was wayyyy up. I do wish I had arrived about a half hour before though. The transition to dawn is always part of the experience.

Getting in was easy and getting a drink was even easier. There were two bars (that I saw) and it was not overly crowded as I expected. I feel as though I spent way too much time at the beginning trying to find the clay/mud. There were a few people smearing it on passersby and there were a couple of buckets where people could dip their cups to get some mud. Soon after, the misbehaviour started and the rain elevated the mood to 100.

The Worst Of It: To be honest, I am not a big fan of clay and/or mud. Though it is easy to wash off, it dries hard on the skin quite quickly and makes me itch. I was thankful for the rain. I also think the venue was a little too big for the number of people so it made the fete look sparse in some areas. Lastly, I wish there was food.

Will I go back? Absolutely!

RATING: 4.5/5

Soak’T

Type: Drinks inclusive wet fete

Average Price: $30

Location: Pigeon Island Beach

Difficulty Level: Easy

The Best Of It: I was there for less than an hour but had a blast during that 45 minute stretch. When I say water….WATER! So much water, I almost drowned, highest of soprano keys. My sneakers were done for. I did not get to take advantage of the drinks-inclusive option because I was trying to catch up to the vibe of the fete, but it was lit.

The Worst Of It: It ended early! The f#$%! I do not know what happened, but the fete ended about an hour earlier than advertised. That was highly disappointing. I already knew I was doing the most trying to fit in Mess and Soak’t (their timing closely overlapped) but I had planned to spend a solid two hours at Soak’t.

Also, by the time we arrived (about 8:30am), there were no gatekeepers and we walked right in. Therefore, I was a little salty I purchased a ticket. The lack of security was an issue for me. The open access to the beach was an easy point of entry for non-ticket holders. People were just hopping in from the side which made the event seem disorganized.

Will I go back? Maybe.

RATING: 3/5

SOCA RAFF UP

Type: Cooler catamaran cruise

Average Price: $40

Location: Rodney Bay Marina (boarding)

Difficulty Level: Medium (committee approval required)

The Best Of It: Originally advertised as two catamarans, a third was added due to high demand. I was torn about whether I would do this event or not and decided to buy tickets for this last minute. And what a good decision. The third boat lacked vibes, but what lacked in energy was made up by our bomb cooler spread that we brought on board. I was happily tipsy by the time we did a beach stop.

The dock stop definitely turned things around and picked up the pace for me. The highlight was the return ride back. We did sneak into another boat and it was littttt. Pretty much everyone’s phone died and the lights were dimmed down low and it was madness from there. No evidence, no case k. I don’t remember when we made it back to shore, what I drank, when we left the Marina, how we got home…A BLUR. I just know I was knocked out. Y’all who went to Remedy afterwards…KUDOS.

The Worst Of It: As mentioned, the energy of catamaran 3 was dry. It may have been the small number of people onboard, but don’t they say a lime turns into a fete once it’s 5 people. We were ready to turn up and the rest of the patrons were…not. If I go back, I will try to get on one of the bigger boats. We also left late, but the cruise was definitely extended, so in a way I was okay with it? I wish food was served while we waited.

Will I go back? Maybe. I may try out another fete at this time.

RATING: 3.75/5

INDULGENCE

Type: All inclusive breakfast party

Average Price: $113

Location: Pigeon Island

Difficulty Level: Easy

The Best Of It:l Now you all know I love an all inclusive breakfast party. I was looking forward to this fete and it did not disappoint. We got there pretty early, before sunrise and it was nice to drink and eat without abandon while it was still filling up. The drinks selection was premium indeed - I just wish they had Irish cream. Yes, I know most people don’t drink that, but I just feel like it should be a standard offer at any premium all inclusive fete. However, I enjoyed the Appleton and the Grey Goose stations where I took some shots and picked up a signature cup before they ran out.

The vibe was a little slow to build but when it did, it was major! This fete has a special place in my heart for playing the most varied soca music as well as African music (not just afrobeats praise the lordt) from outside Nigeria (lol). Of course they played the popular afrobeats tracks, but they also played some old(er) goodies and I was all up in it. The DJs and hype men did an excellent job feeding off the energy of the crowd and turning the dial up when necessary.

The theme this year was neon. Most people stuck to the theme, and the sea of black and brown people in stark, bright colours against the backdrop of the beautiful coast was truly a sight to behold. Make sure you add this to your roster next year and get your tickets when they drop! They were only sold electronically and they did sell out. I knew several people, including my friends, who did not purchase in time.

The Worst Of It: Improvements could be made on the food. It was plentiful and it was decent, but I feel like the options were lacking and there weren’t enough of stations,therefore the lines were pretty crazy. I didn’t eat as much as I would have liked because I avoided the queues. Unfortunately, it rained heavily the night leading up to the fete, therefore the ground was a bit soggy and muddy. Of course, it was of no fault to the promoters, but it did kill the mood slightly when walking into the fete.

Will I go back? You know it!

RATING: 4/5

SOCA, SEX & ALCOHOL (SSA) CRUISE

Type: Cooler catamaran cruise

Average Price: $45

Location: Vigie Cove (boarding)

Difficulty Level: Easy

The Best Of It: BEST FETE IN SLU 2019. You cannot truly debate me on this one…I mean you can obviously 🙄 I didn’t go to every fete, but SSA Cruise, particularly boat 1 was all the way up! The DJs were amazing and kept the same energy throughout and the camaraderie among the patrons made things more fun.

The moment the catamarans rafted up was my favorite part of the fete - there was misbehavior in the waters, photo shoots in the sand dunes, beach yoga in the waves, bacchanal on the boat…just a whole bunch happening all at once and I loved every minute! If you weren’t there, you missed out. Sorryyyy it was craaaazy. Check out my recap at the end of the blog post, but just know those were the milder moments. There was a rainstorm as we headed back to shore on our return which turned up the ante and I don’t know what else to tell you… What happens on SSA stays on SSA. The cruise was long but I did not even care one bit.

The Worst Of It: We left late. This was a buzzkill for me when we boarded. I was still on the high from Indulgence, had reunited with my friends…and then we were at a standstill for 1.5 hours. Other than that, I have no complaints.

Will I go back? Definitely!!

RATING: 4.5/5

BRAZEN

Type: Cooler Fete/VIP

Average Price: $60/$120

Location: Pigeon Island

Difficulty Level: Easy

The Best Of It: This fete was a blur. It was good but I could have done without it. By the time we arrived, people had already been there for a few hours so they were hype. I had fun during specific moments - when a particular song came on or when I felt a burst of energy. I even enjoyed the very first downpour. Otherwise, It was decent.

The Worst Of It: The all inclusive option was not worth the cost. It was convenient being able to get food and drinks, but the VIP area was so small and congested, you could barely squeeze through to get said food and drinks. I am sure the torrential rainfall did not help as non-VIP folks went in to for shelter, but the space should have been bigger. I was worn out after the cruise and the rain and wind led to some kind of allergic reaction in my eye, so I was kind of over it half way through the event.

Will I go back? I don’t know.

RATING: 2.75/5

I had every intention of going to Colour Me Red. By the time my friends and I did our excursion, picked up costumes, had dinner and got ready, the traffic to the venue was crazy and we decided to just forego the fete. If you went, how was that?

Otherwise, what was your experience in St. Lucia like? Did you attend any other fetes not listed? Tell me!

Until the next carnival,

Sandra 🖤