We liked the 1/16" look for ours. Our colors are practically the reverse of yours--grey tile & pearl grout. We have a combination of 3x6s (top 2/3 of the shower) and 10x13s (bottom 1/3) separated by 1x12 decorative glass listellos. To me, the grout lines always look a little larger when complete anyway, so I would go smaller rather than larger. Plus it's less space for anything yucky to grow! Just my $0.02

We used the same tile for our kitchen backsplash. Please use the spacers (check to see what is recommended grout line and get spacers that size). if you want a uniform look, then choose a grout color that best blends with the tiles. Our contractor does alot of tile work and as good as he is, he said that even the slightest variance in a linear placement can affect the straight line. He always uses them, even with 30 years experience of doing tile work.

Have you looked at Daltile? I believe they have several lines that come with a crackle finish in off white ... check out the Folio line. Not sure about cost for that particular tile, but they do have affordable tile. Also, when we were looking for tile, I had some samples of a crackle finish tile from Ann Sacks. They have a few affordable lines as well, though I'm not sure they have anything in a $3 per sq. ft. range.

We are in the midst of remodeling two of our bathrooms. I like doing a ton of research and price comparisons before committing to a store. I first saw the white 3x6 subway tile at Lowe's and Home Depot, and then stepped into our local Tile Shop to compare quality. After seeing and feeling the different products side by side, I thought they were comparable, though the quality of the Tile Shop tiles were slightly better (e.g., not porous and no variation in the white from tile to tile). I told the reps at the Tile Shop that I had seen the exact same tile at Lowe's for $1.79 and showed them a sample. They actually priced matched the tile!!! We ended up buying all our tiles at their store - and they gave us significant discounts on everything. They were really great to work with and make you feel like they really value your business. I have found that everything is negotiable - it's just a matter of asking! =)