My husband and I went on the Kestrel open boat to see the whales. It was his first time out west and he'd never seen an Orca before, so it was a must do on our honeymoon list while on San Juan Island.
The Kestrel open boat is set up so that people (up to 23 seated) can view wildlife all around the boat without truly having to get up and move spots- this had pros and cons.
CONS: While every person on the boat is geared up in weathered attire for the trip (it's very cold on the Salish Sea) the rolls on the water in an open boat caused several to regret their choice of seating in the front, thus having us to stop and swap seats to give those in the front a break; there are swells on the open sea that cause the boat to hit the water very hard (like a bad rollercoaster) and after about 25 minutes of rolling and being "beaten up" a lot of people including myself were regretting taking the open boat tour. It was an instant throbbing headache, neck pain, and felt as though you were suffering from repeated whip lash. We chose this boat for the "better adventure", it even cost $20 more per person to take the open boat tour (which baffles me personally considering the accommodations)- and, we only got 15-20 minutes with the whales to take photos upon seeing them because the traveling time to the location was 1.25hrs! It cost us as a couple including tax $262 for this short trip of roughly 20 minutes with the orcas.
PROS: The trip was a success and we did see the whales, there was a bathroom on board the boat, the tour guide Kelsey was very nice, and not one person got sea sick
*** Being that this was the second time I'd taken a whale tour (completely different company bookings), I would personally NOT recommend an open boat tour to any person who has the following issues (as it's not mentioned on any of the tour program brochures or by staff members as fair warning):
neck injuries, if you're pregnant, become easily sea sick, suffer from chronic headaches or migraines, have internal injuries, have recently had surgery, have any broken bones, don't like frigid water climate (even in July), don't like to get wet, don't like rollercoasters, have young children (trust me, take the Odyssey boat if you have kids), have a fear of tight spaces or sitting next to strangers.
Other than the notes above, bring your gloves, hats, mittens, sweatshirts, and long pants, it's cold out there!! Get ready to see some whales and possibly other marine wildlife, don't forget your camera, some snacks, and your motion sickness medicine LOL.