News yesterday that Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival is being delayed has sparked outrage among some people abroad who are booked to travel to The Bahamas for the event as previously announced for May 4-6.

One woman, who planned to travel from Virginia, said her group spent well over $10,000 in travel expenses and costumes.

"Postponing is a cancelation to us," said the woman, who asked only that her last name -- Johnson -- be used in the story. She also said, "The government should be embarrassed."

After The Nassau Guardian reported yesterday that carnival is being postponed to avoid a conflict with election season, Prime Minister Perry Christie confirmed that the Bahamas National Festival Commission met and determined a postponement was necessary.

"I don't know the dates they have chosen, but it is my understanding that that has been done," the prime minister said.

But Johnson said in an interview with The Nassau Guardian, "I don't understand what carnival has to do with a re-election; that justification is ridiculous.

"A good [number] of the people [who] are coming there are foreigners. We can't vote so that justification doesn't make sense." The woman said she and 10 others booked their accommodation as soon as the carnival dates were revealed.

"When they released the [dates], I didn't book my flight; I booked a place to stay because I wanted to make sure I had a nice place to stay," Johnson said.

"I booked it so far in advance so that we would have a nice house. This was a big deal.

"There [are] crazy things that go on in the U.S., but to just cancel, it's embarrassing."

Johnson said she doesn't have the luxury of canceling her reservations at such late notice as she's spent over $2,000 in travel expenses.

"I still have to come there but I don't know what our plans are going to be while we're there, because we had planned to be at those events to pay for our costumes," she said.

"Our costumes were $650, our tickets were $800, and the house that I rented is $600."

She said those figures did not include her day-to-day expenses such as food and transportation.

Johnson and her group plan to be in The Bahamas between 10 and 12 days.

"I don't even have that option," she said, when asked if they would be prepared to change their plans.

"I'm self-employed; I work; I have a family. It's just not an option. That's why when you set a date for something, you're supposed to keep that date because people make arrangements based on your word, and his (the prime minister's) word should mean something.

"This was not something that he just decided last week. This was from last year. That's so irresponsible."

A caller into the Guardian Radio show "The Conversation" with Shenique Miller, expressed anger over the postponement.

"This is what people do, come there to have fun," said the caller, who is from Florida.

The man said his parents are from The Bahamas. "This is ridiculous. I feel like I could cry. Perry must've lost his mind.

"What are we supposed to tell these people [who] spent the money on a hotel, [who] spent the money to get here, [who] spend the money going to Miami to get here on a boat?

"How can he just say, 'you know something to heck with everyone else', just to satisfy himself," the caller said.

Last night, Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival announced on Instagram that the new dates are May 18-20.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian