Explanation of what a partially obstructed or fully obstructed view cabin means on a cruise ship.
Many cruise lines have fully or partially obstructed cabins onboard. These can be in various categories but mainly Ocean View cabins and Balcony cabins.
An Obstructed View cabin has some sort of obstruction blocking your view - the obstruction in question varies from ship to ship. It is usually a lifeboat, either in front of your cabin window, below it or above it.
It may also be a structural part of the ship that is in the way. Whatever is hindering your view, bear in mind that it may alter the amount of sunlight that you get both inside the cabin or whilst sitting outside on your balcony (if you have one).
The obstructed view cabins are normally slightly less expensive than the non-obstructed ones and are often allocated when clients book guaranteed cabins. The modern cruise ships try to minimise the amount of obstruction in front of a cabin, however, this is a complete gamble. You could be lucky and have very little obstruction or unfortunate and have a 100% obstruction.
If you buy your cabin at a standard rate, an obstructed view cabin is not worth it. But if you get your cabin at a cheaper, guaranteed price, the pros offset the cons.