A trio of tiny islands in the western Caribbean, the Cayman Islands have countless idyllic beaches and plenty to offer families looking for a warm-weather escape.  The nation's tourism board has kicked off a "Get Warm" promotion, which is an umbrella for an assortment of deals at participating resorts and outfitters.  As is often the case with these island-wide campaigns, it can be complicated to figure out which offer is the best for your family. There are "5th night free" deals, "Free Night, Free Rays" packages that include stingray encounters, and other packages that include airfare. Another challenge is that each participating hotel has its own variation on the deal regarding the book-by date, expiry date, and minimum-stay requirement. Bottom line: You need to read the fine print. 

We checked out the line-up of participating resorts and liked the look of the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort, with a location directly on Seven Mile Beach and plenty of kids activities, including a Camp ECO Kids Club.  The resort’s Stingray City Deal, valid through March 31, promises a fifth night free and a few other add-ons.  The published starting nightly rate for the package at this property is $326, though we couldn't find any lower than $421 a night. But is it really a good deal for families? We test-booked a five-night stay in February for a family of four to find out.

The package includes:

• 5 nights in deluxe accommodations (rack rate in February for a double room with balcony is $369/night x 5 nights = $1,845)
• breakfast for two adults and two kids under 17 (valued at $17/adult x 2 adults x 5 days + $8/child x 2 children x 5 days = $250)
• 2 adult tickets for Stingray City tour (worth $60/adult x 2 = $120); kid's tickets ($30/kid x 2 = $60) must be purchased separately

If all three components were purchased a la carte, this five-night stay would cost $2,275 for our dates in February. Comparatively, the package price for the same stay comes to $1,744 ($421/night x 4 nights + free night + $60 for kids' tickets), which is a savings of $531, or 23%.

Deal or no deal? Knocking 23% off your bill is a deal in our book, and yet you might be able to snag an even lower price. After all, the package rate factors in the cost of the $50-a-day breakfast and stingray excursion. If your priority is keeping costs down, it may make more sense to book one of the hotel's other offers, such as the Global Break, with an across-the-board discount of 20% off regular weekend room rates. 

The take-away, as always, is that you need to do the math to see which approach makes the most sense for your family.