Look into Swanstone or Transolid. Both are considered solid surface like Luxstone without the crazy markup. I've got both installed in the last two years - Swanstone is higher end but both are solid choices. More on reddit.com

I have down showers using similar panel products and found they are not difficult to do. Having the walls plum and square is key. The material cuts easily with fine tooth blades in saws. They do have some weight to them, so you need to take care when handling them. I found it important to provide adequate bracing of the panels while adhesive sets up. A skilled DIY shouldn't have too much difficulty. Always get the matching "shower pan" when possible. Take the extra step in locating blocking for shower door installs. I usually just use densheild board as the backer system when using panelized shower systems. More on reddit.com

There’s a lot of damage from shipping. Goes with the territory. My work sells these and we’ve gotten away from them bc of the amount of damage we have to eat. There’s only so many options in the size you need. Just make sure you pick an above floor rough unless you have access from below. Performa 2 is the newest option More on reddit.com

You can use larger tiles to minimize grout lines, like 12x24 or even longer pieces. There are some really large tiles available as well but not sure how much those cost. What about cultured marble? Its a proven product with minimal seams but its not as "cool" nowadays. Maintenance is very low however. More on reddit.com