Bathing solutions is offering their walk in tub for 3000.00 plus shipping. It is a third the price of Premier bathrooms tub and is of very high quality. If you would like more info please visit the link Walk in Bathtubs

The vertical wall seams crack more readily because the house shifts and moves. Ive tried grouting only and going back to caulk with sanded grout caulk or silicon only after a crack develops, hoping in some cases it will not. Sometimes it does not crack. Some contractors caulk all seams as a matter of course, no callbacks, safer. I liked the idea of sanded grout caulk to match your grout color It has not held up for me in wet conditions, such as the top of the bathtub where the wall tile starts, etc. , definitely not along the shower floor where the wall tile starts. It has held up in other areas though, and looks nicer when it all ties in. I agree, mildew on silicon is unsightly. Every bathroom has different conditions, including ventilation, moisture, etc. Some people have to clean out and recaulk the silicon every year or two. Whether its allegedly mildewproof silicon or not.

That alcove is designed to house a tub only, not a tub shower unit. You can't "repurpose" what's there without water damage to your floor, window, and behind your walls. The tub itself not designed to be used that way, and neither is the window designed to be in a wet area. You'd need to rip it all out and start over by installing a smaller and waterproof window, then installing a tub that had an integral tile flange which is part of the waterproofing system needed. Then your waterproofing membrane and whatever wall cladding you might want.

@pennydesign, This question is based on another plan that I'm considering where I would keep a bath/shower combo in my main bathroom, but then add an esnuite to my master bedroom with a small dedictated shower: In this layout, I would only have room for a 15" deep vanity if I want 26" between a standard 32" tub and the vanity (so every inch counts). I could move the wall behind the vanity as a last resort if needed, but I'm trying to find a way to work within the existing footprint (which is why I'm looking at a 28" wide tub). Another alternative is to put the tub along the left wall with the window, but I'm not too keen on this idea because: I don't think I'd like to shower in front of a window that faces the street, especially at night time :S I don't think I'd want to deal with cleaning waterproof blinds that get wet all the time I don't really like the idea of frosting the window so that I can't see out any more