I am thinking of booking a cat. G outside cabin on HAL Oosterdam to Alaska. The cruise line classifies it as "partially obstructed". From the deck plans, it appears that this is in the general area of the tenders, but the "G" category is between the back of one tender and the front of the next one, so it would provide a "straight ahead ocean view.

Does anyone have experience with this type of "partially obstructed" cabin category?

That sounds exactly like the cabin I had last year on the Monarch of the Seas. We had a great view of the lifeboat, but could see the ocean if we pressed our faces on the glass and craned our heads. However, this wasn't a problem since we were hardly ever in the cabin. How much time will you spend in the cabin? If you will spend a lot of time there, then you might want to spend the extra money on a better view. If not, then this will work and it still beats an inside cabin.

Not all the diagrams are accurate as far as where the lifeboats are.

Our" partially" obstructed view was the window washer right outside our balcony. Unless the ship is full, I'd look for another cabin.

On our first cruise 25 years ago, we too had a "partially obstructed view" cabin. Our problem wasn't with a window washer, but rather with maintenance--painting almost every day of the cruise. The first time I spotted the guy I was rather scantily clothed, maybe that's why the painting continued for such a long time. Hated having to keep the curtains closed for so much of the time we were in the room.

I personally would book an inside cabin and use the money saved to book extra excursions. We did this, and spent lots of time on deck on our Alaskan Cruise.

Kim-
I hate to burst all the bubbles of the other people but it all depends on your travel agents knowledge of the layout of the ship..

We did a partially obstructed view on the Golden Princess and the agent assured us that she knew the ship and that our room was BETWEEN the lifegoats..SHE was right on the money and the room was GREAT!

This was the first time in 28 years of cruising that we did this and we would do it again with this same travel agent as she ,personally, has travelled on most all the ships around...

Our "partially obstructed" view on our balcony of another Cruise Line, was of an ugly lifeboat. I won't do it again. We like to have morning coffee and nightcaps on our balcony.

we have cabin E404 for a Caribbean Princess cruise- when you look at the floor plan, there are NO lifeboats next to these cabins..

Our TA assured us that the lifeboats are BELOW the window-so we have a dead shot of the water straight ahead..

I suggest you look at an upclose floor plan to see where your cabin is located in relation to the actual lifeboats..