SOCA ISLANDS Reviews 86

This was our first TnT carnival and it was one for the books. We didn’t know where to start planning or how to book accommodations. We came across Soca Islands on social media and saw that it was a very organized itinerary. We met some amazing people and had the best time. We understand it takes a lot to plan and Roger did a great job with executing. We did have some ups and downs but Roger reached out to us and addressed them with us and clarified concerns we had. We appreciate the follow up call to discuss everything.

This is indeed a REAL REVIEW. My experience with Soca Islands was nothing short of exceptional. From the moment I booked my trip to Saint Kitts, I had tons of questions and the host got back to me so quickly. Everything was organized with such care, clarity, and professionalism that I never had to worry about a single detail.

The itinerary was thorough, easy to follow, and incredibly helpful. Every link, Google doc, and resource they provided made packing, planning, and preparing effortless. I knew exactly what to bring, what to expect, and how to show up — and that level of transparency made the entire experience stress‑free.

One of the biggest highlights was that my costume was picked up for me by the host, so I didn’t have to deal with any logistics or lines. Every event on the itinerary was already paid for, which meant I could fully enjoy myself without constantly reaching for my wallet. The events themselves were amazing — great vibes, great people, unlimited food, unlimited drinks, and unforgettable energy.

Soca Islands also surprised us with thoughtful extras:

• A book bag filled with towels, water bottles, and useful knickknacks
• Reliable transportation for the entire trip
• A dedicated driver, so we never had to figure out how to get anywhere
• Built‑in downtime, which was a blessing after nights of partying and enjoying the island

I barely spent any additional money because everything essential was already included. Anything I purchased was by choice — like groceries or small snacks — not because the trip required it. Oh and the payment plan options for the trip were very helpful.

What truly set this experience apart was how seamless and organized everything felt. We always knew what time to meet, where we were going, and what to expect. The host communicated clearly, consistently, and with genuine care for our comfort and enjoyment.

I traveled solo and everyone was scared for me but this was, without question, one of the best, most well‑coordinated travel experiences I’ve ever had. If you’re thinking about traveling with Soca Islands, do it. They make you feel taken care of from start to finish, and they deliver an experience that’s worth every penny and more.

Highly, highly recommended.

I’m already looking for my next Soca Islands carnival experience, because this trip reminded me how powerful and joyful carnival culture truly is. One thing to know: you will meet people, and you will make friends and family for life. The connections are real, the vibes are unmatched, and the sense of community is something you can’t manufacture.

If you’re not someone who enjoys Caribbean carnival culture, these trips might not be the right fit. But if you love the music, the energy, the freedom, and the celebration of life that carnival brings, then you will fall in love with everything Soca Islands offers.

If you're dreaming of Trinidad Carnival, look no further than Soca Islands. As a first-time solo traveler who has been dreaming of this trip for over 30 years, I can confidently say they are the best in the business.

From my 2 am airport pickup to the moment I left, Roger and his team had every single detail covered. My housing was great, fete tickets and transportation were all handled, and my costume was delivered right to my door. The itinerary was what truly set this experience apart. It was a perfect blend of parties and incredible cultural activities.

I learned how to play the steel pan drums, walk on stilts, and even had the chance to learn how to blow fire from my mouth! This wasn't just a trip; it was an authentic and immersive experience. Soca Islands and Roger are professional, organized, and truly passionate about what they do. They made my dream a reality and I can't recommend them enough!

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.

Spicemas 2025 was an amazing experience! However we won't be booking a carnival experience with Soca Islands EVER again. Save your money and book with another company instead! Communication from the owner of Soca Islands had been very good up until about 1 month before the trip. From July 2025 communication started to dwindle and while we were on the actual trip communication from the owner became extremely poor. Roger says that during your trip we can message or email him with any questions. When some of us messaged him during Spicemas he did not respond. He responded to some travellers but this was not on a frequent basis.

We were told that there would be a Soca Islands Meet & Greet event on the first day of the trip; this Meet & Greet never happened. This was a huge shame as we had to find a way to all connect with each other ourselves. The Meet & Greet should be taken off the itinerary as it’s very misleading.

The owner (his name is Roger) had made a group chat for all members of the group but it was only admins that could sent messages in the group! So we weren't able to talk to each other and connect before the trip! We were promised that we'd be able to connect with our roommate before Spicemas but this did not happen either. One of the apartments Roger chose for some of us to stay at was still under construction. This was a huge shock as the apartment looked so rundown and was not a nice experience to stay at. Make sure you research the apartments Roger has listed.

During Spicemas were told that the Soca Monarch Finals might be taken off the itinerary but we were not given a reason why. The travellers who wanted to go were going to have to purchase their own tickets. This was ridiculous as the Soca Monarch finals tickets were a part of the package that we’d paid for! So why would Roger not refund us? The day before Soca Monarch Finals we were told that Soca Monarch Finals was staying on the itinerary.

The Island Tour was very underwhelming. It was promised that we'd visit a rum distillery but instead a random local gave us 2 spirits to taste. A lot of the things that we should have done on the island tour never actually happened. The tour was supposed to finish at 5pm but our island tour finished at 2:30pm. The owner of Soca Islands (Roger) is usually very present during the entire trip but for Spicemas 2025 he was barely seen. The few times we did see him, he was always on the phone and his energy was very uninviting as if he didn't want to hold a conversation with us.

Roger got into a few arguments with some of the travellers. He was very rude and was not interested in hearing about our requests or complaints. He was essentially wrong and strong. We did not see Roger at all on the parade days. He claimed that he was on the side-lines waving a flag but this doesn't sound believable. Whenever we messaged Roger during Spicemas we never got a response. When we confronted him about his poor communication he said everything we need to know is already in the main group chat. This was a poor excuse because we should be able to message him to clarify things.

After the trip, we never received a message or email from Roger to ask how our experience was or to say thank you for coming or wish us safe flights back home. We were supposed to take a group picture at the professional photoshoot on the parade days but this never happened.

The amount of money we all paid to experience Spicemas through Soca Islands did match up to the costumer service. We were significantly overcharged and were not treated with care or respect. We hope other people who book soca islands do not have this underwhelming, shambolic and disheartening experience.

Soca Islands took care of all the planning and practicalities so that we can focus on enjoying the T&T carnival experience, fetes and all the great vibes.

Roger happily tailored some of the experience to our specific needs and even personally drove us around. We were really happy with our costumes, band, professional fotos and make up. After the carnival my tabanca was real! We can’t wait another trip with Soca Islands!

I had a GRAND Experience with Soca Islands!. The trip was well organized. Pick up and drop off from airport with timely. We left for each event/Activity/fete timely. Costume and armband pick up/delivery was superb. I would definitely travel with this group again. This is a great Organization to attend, carnival whether solo or as a group!

The best team to handle any Carnival Trip. The customer service is great, fast and efficient. They are well organized and proactive! Can’t wait to join the party!

Soca islands team - thank you so very much for a great job in organizing the pre convention tour to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand - Bangkok and Phuket, and Singapore. Arrangements were beyond expectation - flights, hotel, transport and tours - all WOW!!! It’s been a phenomenal, once-in-a lifetime experience.
Not to be left out - Roger Kirton, our host- what a fantastic job in ensuring all went well with us during the tour. A special ‘Thank you’ indeed for your attention to us all!!!
A few of us started as strangers in the group but left as ONE of the group. During the entire trip, each looked after the others ensuring we remained together / or knew the whereabouts of the others. A camaraderie well forged.
Overall, an excellent and exceptional experience and look forward to doing more tours with Soca Islands.
Annie, friend of Rotary

Oohh my .... where do I start ....
It starts with having to take a midnight flight, taking care to book the hotel rooms for an extra day given the late flight. Very much appreciated!
So the bar was raised, but it kept being raised throughout the trip! Hanoi and Halong Bay their unique and beautiful sites, hotels, cruise boat and local tour guide .... superb!
Siem Reap with its rich ancient and amazing history, a beautiful hotel opening up their (breakfast) dining room for dinner just for us since we had a late arrival and again a fantastic local tour guide ...... amazing!
Bangkok with its very busy streets, waterway and rooftop bar restaurants. Another incredibly beautiful boutique hotel on the riverside where we had the unique opportunity to have drinks at a quaint little bar down the street while doing laundry in the middle of the night ...... unbelievable!
Phuket with another grand hotel resort with a superb livingroom and bedroom unit with lush beautiful gardens and another local tour guide catering to our needs (and changes and wishes) ...... amazing!
Singapore with our surprise stay at the unique and beautiful MBS. This was where we were on our own, but Soca Islands still brought us together ...... WOW!!
Soca Island Tours is nothing short of amazing with great organization skills, flexible mindset and a SUPERB host!
So glad we decide to join them (thank you ....) and we'll definitely do it again in the future

Dennis and I (Deborah) are retired US Military Personnel and have traveled the world for work and personal reasons. We have traveled with groups and by ourselves with the intent of exploring new regions and experiencing the local culture.

I must admit traveling with Soca Islands Tours far exceeded our expectations. We were prepared for the normal tourist adventure. We were pleasantly surprised with the experience of a lifetime. This says a lot from seasoned travelers.

What really made the difference, in addition to the varied itinerary, was the host expertise and interaction. Roger was an amazing host. He was able to pivot to accommodate as necessary the group's desire and make recommendations to ensure a meaningful/pleasurable experience. We were even blessed with an add-on to the itinerary (Malaysia) which was remarkable.

Overall we enjoyed the established tours and all the accommodations were top tier hotels. We enjoyed the group make up; coming from various Caribbean Islands and as far as from the United States. Had we not used the services of Soca Islands Tours, I am not sure we would have been exposed to many cultural sites (although famous). The cruise in Vietnam was another plus for us.

Thank you to Roger and the team for the top notch service we received throughout the entire process. We are actually looking forward to our next adventure with Soca Islands Tours. We are Soca Islands customers for LIFE.

When my husband and I expressed a desire to attend RI Convention in Singapore 2024, we were referred to Roger Kirton of SOCAISĹANDS and their pre-convention Tours to South East Asian countries. We immediately signed up.

Via Los Angeles, we visited the countries of Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Phuket Island and Singapore. To put together such a variety of experiences is testament to the details studiously pursued by Roger for our overall enjoyment. We marveled at the various countries' cultures and customs, their history and hospitality, food and drinks, entertainment, sightseeing and of course, shopping. These experiences have left a lasting impression in our hearts.

We must complement Roger and his team who were absolutely fabulous and seamlessly executed all travel and hotel arrangements.

We have rated the execution of this project as excellent and look forward to future pre-convention Tours.

Thanks Roger! Thanks SOCAISLANDS!! Wonderful Experience!!

Trevey and Claudie

Al you do is pay and not worry about anything else after that. Everything is taken care of such as most meals, tours, airport pickup and drop off, inter country flights, excellent hotel choices, site seeing and great camaraderie.

I recently attended Jamaica Carnival with Soca Islands and the trip was amazing! What I appreciated the most was the customer service. From beginning (I started planning and reaching out a year ago) to end I had absolutely nothing to worry about. All I had to do was be downstairs and the activities, costumes, transportation, etc. was ready without me lifting a finger. I wasn’t always feeling my best and I was instantly treated like family with everyone checking up on me to ensure I was good. The only reason that I left 4 stars is because I would have liked to have received the points for the hotel stay but an another number was attached to the reservation. This was my first carnival and I am so happy that I chose Soca Islands.

Roger and the team he's assembled are truly amazing. I took my family and grown-up children AND their English partners to T&T for a two week two island holiday. He organised transport Security and accompanied us in such a professional but friendly and unintrusive way it simply made the holiday of a lifetime (in the words of Max and Erin who've never been before). For anyone who wants peace of mind, a feeling of safety and security and Freedom to enjoy the wealth of Eco-tourism T&T has, you can't do better. We will definitely use Roger Soca Islands again for future trips. Dr K Gangar

Overall my experience with Soca Islands was great! I greatly appreciated how I was included on every detail or aspect of my trip. As life happens, changes are bound to happen and though there were not many, every change was handled with care and courtesy. From day one, transportation was consistently on point. How rewarding is it not to wonder/worry about your ride to and from... The fetes and events on the itinerary were catered to the majority, however there was room for persons to make individual decisions. Nevertheless, when making decisions on fetes/events, it may be good to provide full details, (i.e. what to expect, attire, distance to/from). My only issue was with some of the options for food and/or drinks. I wish I could have been better informed on what could have been provided, so that I could make other arrangements if it didn't meet my diet restrictions. The customer service was the ultimate reason why I choose to book with Soca Islands. Now they are the first company I will consider for my future travels. Thank you for the experience and the new extended family.

Jamaica Carnival with Soca Islands was a fantastic experience. The whole trip was expertly coordinated.
There was a nice variety of fetes (all inclusive, cooler, beach, breakfast) everything happened as predicted, no cancellations and the vibes, music etc was consistently great.
Transport was always on time and super reliable.
Carnival costume was excellent quality (Gen XS) and the session with a photographer in costume was a nice touch.
The best part was meeting everyone else on the trip, a lovely group of people to share the experience with.
And a special mention to Roger for being so communicative the whole time, making sure you have all the details you need and can reach him with special requests. He found me a great taxi driver (Michael) when I needed to go out by myself.

Best. Trip. Ever! *Long review alert* but I can't say enough about my great experience with Soca Islands. We went as a group of 8 (as part of a larger group) and everyone had the time of their lives!

To start, all of the fetes were phenomenal! There was a different vibe at each one so we experienced a variety of celebrations. Not sure how we made it to all of them but we did! #teamnosleep. Roger's advice on when to arrive/leave was spot on to maximize our fun. The cultural events and the beach trip to unwind were amazing to experience as well.

The accommodations - I really liked Kapok hotel. It wasn't what we originally chose so when Roger said we moved, I was nervous. But it was clean, the staff was nice, the food was good (try the lamb burger and the pizza) and it was close to the action. We walked back after Monday's parade.

Next, Roger was flexible and communicative with our opinionated group at every step, and he always answered questions with grace & patience. When things didn't go as planned (which happens with large groups, larger crowds and spotty cell service) he was quick to communicate and execute a solution. If you don't do well waiting on other people, I suggest you opt for separate transportation (cuz people be hella late).

Most important were the vibes - and our group was top tier vibes at all times. The party wasn't only at the fetes, but carried over onto the maxi rides! And when we were out on di road, everyone looked out for each other.

Lastly, Roger was extremely accommodating. I was proposed to on di road (completely surprised) and the Soca Islands photographer was there to capture all the angles!!! (so grateful). He also captured other epic moments of our group throughout the week (we were lit lit!). Additionally, the morning after the carnival parade, I requested if Soca Islands could arrange an impromptu trip to Avocat waterfall (it wasn't included in our itinerary). Within an hour he had the details to us and within 2 we were on our way. Oh and the goodie backpack filled with useful items was a nice unexpected touch!

I will say this as my only critique - before booking, when I was researching which company to use, I had a BUNCH of questions. Soca Islands was slow to respond and that made me a little nervous about moving forward (I mean, it was a lot of $). But I took a chance, and I'm so so SO glad I did. Once booked, and as we got closer to the trip, ALL of my questions were answered and my mind was put at ease.

I would HIGHLY recommend Soca Islands to anyone doing Trinidad Carnival (especially for the first time). This was the trip of a lifetime! And Roger is definitely on the guest list for our wedding in 2025!!!! Thank you for a beautiful and fun-filled experience. - Brynne (and Dave)

I just started my carnival journey last year and was looking for a group to go overseas with. When I say SocaIslands did not disappoint, it would be an understatement. From the organization of the trip to the drivers and already arranged fete packages it’s a no brainer. There’s a reason why some people in the group were returners and I for sure will be returning!

From the beginning of planning my trip to Trinidad up until the end, Soca Islands provided exceptional service and made my experience better than I could have imagined. Unsure of how to navigate planning carnival in Trinidad, I found Soca Islands and began the process. Their online platform provided every detail needed to plan our trip. Immediately after planning, we were able to remain in communication via WhatsApp. Whenever we needed to ask a question over the months leading up to Trinidad Carnival, we were able to speak with Roger either through text or video conference calls. As time drew closer to reaching Trinidad, again the communication was phenomenal. We were provided with an itinerary with daily activities.
When we actually reached, the service was great. Transportation was available as soon as we landed and all throughout the trip, our accommodations were excellent with a beautiful view of the island, and the itinerary was followed as planned with an amazing lineup of fetes, cultural activities, and a chance to see more of the island. As someone who plans carnival in the states by myself and knows how hectic it can be, I was very appreciative of being able to receive the services of costume and fete ticket pickup, and making sure to reach makeup appointments on time. Everything was done with ease and no stress, as I would have been lost trying to plan this trip myself! Roger, Sophia, and Tisha were there for us for anything we needed. Because of my experience in Trinidad, my next carnival jump will definitely be with
Soca Islands!