All prices are for a standard double room in winter, excluding 10% government room tax and 10% service charge.

During high season, when it's winter in the Northeast, it's not so easy to find lodgings, even on short notice, but for peak-season and holiday accommodations book well in advance. Note that most hotels require a 7- or 14-day minimum stay at Christmas time, though condominiums will let you book on a day-to-day basis for stays of any length.

Brace yourself for resort prices -- there are few accommodations in the lower price ranges. Most of the larger hotels along Seven Mile Beach don't offer meal plans. Smaller properties that are farther from restaurants usually offer MAP or FAP (to estimate rates for hotels offering MAP or FAP, add about $40 per person, per day to the average EP price ranges below). You can sometimes find deals on Web sites or by calling properties directly; always ask about reduced or package rates.

The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (www.caymanislands.ky) provides a list of condominiums and small rental apartments, a pleasant way to spend a vacation in the Caymans. There is typically a full range of abodes, from luxe digs fit for royalty to more down-to-earth quarters for the less fancy traveler.