I tested this using DOT 7.3.2, W2k8R2 with SMB2 enabled as non-admin user (member of Domain Users).
If cifs.show_snapshot is disabled (off) - which is default:
- no ~snapshot directory is visible, so it is never copied into offline files
- user is able to use Previous versions tab in Explorer to access snapshots
- users are still able to access snapshots by using explicit path names (they must know snapshot names for that)
If cifs.show_snapshot is enabled (on), ~snapshot directory is indeed visible in share root. It is not visible under any subfolder, so - assuming you absolutely need this configuration - workaround is to mark individual subfolder(s) available offline instead of whole share.
So I'd say default filer configuration perfectly fits your requirements. If not, please show exact CIFS options settings, volume options and describe your offline folder configuration.
Get a look at kb45680 as well, it describes various combinations of options to control snapshot visibility.