Cabin choice for Anarctica: Traditional Balcony or Sliding Window?

[psygist]

First time Atlas cruisers going to Antarctica in February. We selected a cabin in the Horizon category which gives us more floor space and a full opening window, but no exterior balcony. Wondering if we should switch to a traditional cabin with an outside balcony. Would appreciate pros and cons of cabin types from anyone who has cruised Atlas to Antarctica. Thanks!

Edited August 18 by psygist

[ridethetide]

3 hours ago, psygist said:

First time Atlas cruisers going to Antarctica in February. We selected a cabin in the Horizon category which gives us more floor space and a full opening window, but no exterior balcony. Wondering if we should switch to a traditional cabin with an outside balcony. Would appreciate pros and cons of cabin types from anyone who has cruised Atlas to Antarctica. Thanks!

We had a balcony last January in Antarctica. and we enjoyed it. It is a convenient place to hop outside to take photographs or just sit and be mesmerized by the everchanging, dramatic scenery. I often bundled up and sat out there with a book and a drink. Another pro is that you can quickly exit the cabin and close the door behind you, resulting in little or no cold air entering the room. Using the horizontal window lets in the cold air. The con is that the cabin is slightly smaller, but that wasn't an issue for us. You will have an amazing expedition, regardless of the type of cabin.

[BayGirl22]

I had a Horizon and was glad I did, booked Horizons for our Iceland trip too. One of my favorite indulgences was to order breakfast room service (a big spread) and eat it with the window open, enjoying the sounds or the birds, ocean, and whales. I never had an issue with it getting too cold. I don't think I would have gone outside on the balcony as much and I used the extra space. 
For a warm weather cruise I would get the balcony. 
 

I also was glad to be on deck 5. Its 2 decks away from everything (7 is the dome, 3 is the mud room) so very easy to get up and down. On the back and front of deck 5 there are outdoor areas with seating, so easy to go hang out there if you want the full outdoor experience. Those areas never got crowded. 

[81Zoomie]

As with everything, there are pluses and minuses.  We sailed in both to the Arctic, and have also been to Antartica (on another line). Balcony provides quick access for wildlife sightings and photography. Horizon provides a bit more space and a view.  However, the window opens slowly, and can be coated with salt spray/crust. Our window was never cleaned for the entire cruise.  This might be an issue after a Drake crossing.  So it’s personal preference.  You can’t go wrong with either.  Enjoy your cruise!

[skiingj]

We had a Horizon in Antarctica and loved it.  Like others have said if you want quick pictures balcony would be much better.

[ukpylot]

I um'd and ah'd over this for a long time before booking our trip for this December and eventually settled on the balcony, mostly because we tend to spend a lot of time on the balcony on our trips and even though it is going to be cold I thought we would miss having the option to sit out and enjoy the outdoors.

 

But like others have said, my research showed that both are great so seems like you can't go wrong. 

[ridethetide]

The view from the balcony on the World Traveller in January.

[Michael_A]

Spring for a balcony if you can. The experience of going out, in private, on your own balcony to have coffee or just watch the scenery go by fantastic. Yeah, its cold. You're in the Antarctic. But the balconies are sheltered for the most part. I spent a lot of time out there just watching the scenery go by and for me it was priceless!

[psygist]

Thanks, everyone, for your informative comments. 
Horizon cabins are more expensive than balcony cabins so the assumption is that they are better. Guess it depends on your preferences.
After reading the comments, I decided on a Horizon cabin for my Antarctica cruise as it provides more room, extra seating, and can sit in warmth by the window as an indoor balcony. Though I’m wondering why a balcony would be better for quick photos since the Horizon cabin has a window that drops down. 

[donaldsc]

14 hours ago, psygist said:

Thanks, everyone, for your informative comments. 
Horizon cabins are more expensive than balcony cabins so the assumption is that they are better. Guess it depends on your preferences.
After reading the comments, I decided on a Horizon cabin for my Antarctica cruise as it provides more room, extra seating, and can sit in warmth by the window as an indoor balcony. Though I’m wondering why a balcony would be better for quick photos since the Horizon cabin has a window that drops down. 

 

You get a much better range of views on a balcony.  If necessary you can go outside and see and/or take pictures of stuff that is in front of you or in back of you.  Not possible w a window.  Also you probably can't take pictures through the window if the window is closed because the window is probably dirty and the autofocus on your camera may end up focusing on the dirt on the window and not on the scene outside of the window.  I would always take the balcony over the window.

 

My thought on the different costs may be that the cruise lines may have figured that if they can convince people that the window is better even if it isn't they can get more money for them.  Cruise lines are very good at figuring ways of extracting money from people.

 

DON

Edited Sunday at 03:58 AM by donaldsc

[Host Jazzbeau]

Looking at the Atlas deck plans, the Horizon cabin window is flush to the outer edge of the hull.  The Balcony is also flush to the outer edge of the hull.  So unlike some traditional cruise ships, the balcony doesn't give you any major advantage looking fore or aft.

 

There may be a time advantage to the balcony:  you can scoot out the door and start shooting before the window slowly makes its way down.  But that should be about it.

 

[ukpylot]

I um’d and ah’d about this before making our booking and chose the balcony. We like to sit on the balcony at night with a glass and soak in the atmosphere and don’t expect that to be any different in Antarctica. And I think the drake shake will be more fun with a balcony than a window! 

[ridethetide]

8 hours ago, ukpylot said:

I um’d and ah’d about this before making our booking and chose the balcony. We like to sit on the balcony at night with a glass and soak in the atmosphere and don’t expect that to be any different in Antarctica. And I think the drake shake will be more fun with a balcony than a window! 

They secure the balcony furniture during the Drake Passage so you likely won't be seated out there during the passage. We had the balcony and made lots of use of it in Antarctica.

[skiingj]

I agree with others that the field of view is limited on a Horizon but we loved it.  If you have a selfie stick then the field of view would be better.  You just can't get as good of a view as a balcony.  The Horizons are very popular on Polar expeditions.

[Michael_A]

It's really a matter of how immersive you want the experience to be. Yes, you can look out an open window... or actually step out into a small part of the environment, in private, on a balcony. For me, the experience was priceless and we indeed have a room with a balcony. I highly recommend it if circumstances allow.

[ukpylot]

17 hours ago, Michael_A said:

It's really a matter of how immersive you want the experience to be. Yes, you can look out an open window... or actually step out into a small part of the environment, in private, on a balcony. 

You can step out naked on your balcony and say you've been nude in Antarctica!! Not the same from an open window 🙂