We are going with a freestanding in our new master bath both because we like the looks and also with our layout it worked better. Given the cost of a good tiling job I'm not sure a built-in would have been less expensive than a standalone. We had 2 drop-in tubs (one to be removed with shower stall) and one of them still in-- acrylic-- which we put in 12 years ago and somewhat regret now because it flexes and the grout cracked over time so it has needed a lot of maintenance. (this is mostly because of the material we chose). But when our kids were younger they loved the bubbles!

The WetStyle f/s tub has a removable tray that sits across the tub. I like numberjunkie's idea of a shelf or ledge behind the tub for placing items and also like the idea of having the shower wall next to the tub tiled half-way up to have a space for installing a grab bar. WetStyle has an optional shelf that surrounds the tub, but I think it would make it more challenging to get in and out of the tub - would need to hop over the shelf. The drop-in tub I was initially considering was 72"x42" but that would likely not fit, so would need to be 72"x36". This weekend I looked at an open house (new construction) in my area that had a drop-in tub with a narrow space for the deck surround (see attached photo). The deck was tiled on the top and on the apron with white subway tile. I noticed that with the narrow deck space (about 2") and the tub overhang, it would be awkward to sit on the edge of the tub and swing my legs in or out of the tub. Wiithout space for a deck that is wide enough to comfortably sit on, ease of entry or exit may come down to depth of the tub and options for placement of grab bars. The Wetstyle tub is 22" deep; the drop-in tubs are generally deeper, more like 26"

I have a cast iron clawfoot (I know you said you weren't interested in those specifically) which we love. My husband is 6'5" and has trouble fitting into regular sized tubs; the clawfoot is deep and he can get a good soak. We looked at the Victoria and Albert tubs, but decided on the clawfoot because we found a great deal on a used one on craigslist and it matched the period of our house (1910 bungalow). Neither of us miss having the deck. We are struggling with finding storage, but that is a general issue we are having with the overall bathroom, not specific to the tub. When reading I'll just put my magazine, book or paper on the floor next to the tub. It's not that inconvenient to lean over and pick it up again over the edge of the tub. I don't have any problems getting in and out of the tub, and I've had foot surgery like you would not believe. I've had my ankle, leg, and foot surgically reconstructed 9 times in the past 6 years. While I'm no longer on crutches, I am significantly disabled (makes many DIY projects very difficult for me). I also have very poor balance and suffered nerve damage during one my surgeries so have no sensation on the bottom of my foot. I was warned that all of these issues would make it difficult for me to get in and out of a clawfoot tub, but I just hold onto the opposite side for balance and have no trouble. I have good days and bad days, and on bad days I sit on the edge of the tub and just swing my legs over. I don't think using the clawfoot tub is any more difficult than a regular shallower tub. This was my foot last year, you can see that it was pretty messed up. Even though I had a regular tub during this procedure and only recently got the clawfoot, I'm still recovering from the surgery.

I went with the lower quote in my last house to install a pedestal tub. It had a very slight leak and this guy eventually refunded my money and gave up trying to fix it. He said he thought it was because of slight movement when getting in/out of the tub was the cause. I ended up having it reinstalled by a very large plumbing company and it was 1K, they put some type of concrete like base under it to prevent any movement and they guaranteed the work. If your builder is going to do the work for 1K and guarantee it I would go with it. Less hassle and no issues if any warranty issues later. At the most you would save a few hundred, however you could be giving up a warranty and it would just not be worth it.