On May 5, 2025, we took a Grimaldi Lines overnight ferry from Civitavecchia (Rome) to Barcelona. After our previous Grimaldi experience, we were not looking forward to it. While this route is not as bad as the Tunis to Palermo experience, the ship still featured the negative hallmarks that are part of the Grimaldi ferry experience.

Why a ferry?

As anyone who has cruised to “Rome” can attest, Rome is not a coastal city, and the “Port of Rome” is about 40 miles away in Civitavecchia. This large port is where we docked at the conclusion of our Transatlantic voyage on Celebrity Ascent.

Leaving Civitavecchia is an ordeal. Cars/transfers are expensive. The train station is doable but requires either a shuttle (6 euros) or a long walk into the center of town, and then braving the trains full of cruise passengers also leaving with their piles of luggage. There is no airport, and the train to Rome Fiumicino (FCO) requires a transfer in Central Rome before going back out to the airport on the coast.

We decided that we would stay at the port and stick to boats. With no good cruise options, we lined up a ferry route, where we would stay in Civitavecchia for the day and sail to Barcelona overnight. The downsides were having to move our luggage across the port, and having to babysit our luggage for around 12 hours.

A map of the port can be found here. Cruise ships dock on the western pier, which is around two miles long! Ferries dock on the eastern side. Fortunately there are shuttles, but unfortunately they are a little convoluted. The “cruise ship shuttle service,” aka the “green line” runs up the cruise pier to/from the Largo Della Pace center. The buses are not green, but they are free, and they were relatively easy to locate at the south side of our terminal. A neighboring Costa ship was using them as transportation for shore excursions, which was a bit annoying as it meant each bus was packed.

The second shuttle is the “ordinary service,” or the “blue line.” Once at the Largo Della Pace center, we could not figure out where to board this line. There was a blue line bus stop sign just outside of the center, but no buses ever came there. But the blue line does exist, as we saw the buses circulating through the port.

Eventually we just walked it, as the distance to the ferry terminal is less than a half-mile, and it is actually a straighter-shot than it appears on Google Maps.

On the way was a nice bar, Barbagia di Zedde, where we relaxed on the terrace for a few hours drinking wine and spritzes, and enjoying some basic but fresh pasta and sandwiches.

The ship: MV Cruise Roma

We checked in at the ferry terminal and walked over to the boarding terminal. There were lines of commercial trucks, passenger vehicles, and motorcycles. Once the doors opened, we were allowed to walk on to the ship after passing through a security checkpoint. (Some ferries require walk-on passengers to board a bus that takes them on and off the ferry.)

The ship is a dedicated “cruise ferry” built for Grimaldi Lines, and is the longest ferry in the world (measuring by length). A cruise ferry combines the roll-on elements of a ferry with certain cruise ship details such as a pool, lounges and restaurants, a casino, and shopping boutiques. But don’t get your hopes up for any of these.

Being the second passengers to board had an advantage as the ship was devoid of other guests to get in our way or hog the small elevator. There were a dizzying amount of corridors and rooms and we got lost a few times getting to our room.

The cabin was small but as expected.

We had booked an interior cabin, an add-on to the basic cruise fare. The room was similar to our other Grimaldi experience: barely cleaned, with crumbs and dust still on the horizontal services. The bedding was sparse, with a pillow with the depth of a pancake, and a scratchy sheet. The bathroom amenities are two small bars of soap, two containers of shampoo, and two scratchy bath towels. There are European outlets at the head of the bed to allow for phone charging. There is no television or safe. It is a basic room designed to store luggage and provide a secure place to sleep and a private bathroom.

I folded the pillow a few times to build some neck support. We slept well and slept in. That’s easy to do in an inside cabin. 

The outside deck has a bar, a pool and surrounding sundeck, as well as a small area designated for pets. The pool was closed and being worked on, and although the sun was strong, the wind was also cold and strong. Perhaps this area opens up later in the summer.

Instead, with so many dogs on board, this entire deck ended up being the de facto pet waste area, with numerous spills and landmines to dodge. Fortunately the strong wind kept most of the odor away from those sitting at the bar. Part of the bar is designated as a smoking area, but smoking took place throughout the outdoor areas, including by the staff working behind the bar.

Lounges and Restaurants

The food was generally a highlight, and there were multiple outlets to choose from. There were fresh pastries for breakfast, and espresso was at Italian quality and prices (i.e., good and cheap).

We did not try the full-service restaurant. The cafe menu had decent prices for pastas and other Italian food, but on our voyage, the only side that was open was exclusively for truck drivers. That left the burger restaurant, which also had salads, sandwiches, and other casual foods. We enjoyed our cooked-to-order burger and fries.

A lowlight was the bar on the outdoor deck. A sign by the cashier featured a special for aperitivo hour where wine was served with the inclusion of “snacks.” The cashier needed the assistance of a manager to figure out how to ring this up. The manager then poured out the dregs of an industrial-sized bag of potato chips, which were served with a bowl of peanuts. The wine was reasonably priced but arguing with a cashier for stale chip crumbs was ridiculous.

Other amenities onboard.

An onboard spa offers massages and other treatments. More expensive than on land but cheaper than a cruise spa.

There is a video arcade for the kids. Signs indicate a casino for the adults but while there was a bar in that area, there was no gaming. A locked and curtained door may cover a slot parlor (or what used to be one).

The staff at the shopping boutiques were helpful and knowledgeable about the products they carry. In addition to the usual sundries, there were seasonal and fashionable clothing and swimwear selections. If Tammy had room in her luggage she sure would have bought a few items!

The rear lounge has a stage. According to the Grimaldi website it is a disco at night, although my unsubstantiated guess is that the booths offer a spot for passengers without other sleeping arrangements. We did not visit the lounge at night, so we do not know if there was any entertainment or if anyone used the booths as a bed.

The disembarkation process

The announcements started around three hours before actually arriving in Barcelona. Having paid for a cabin for the voyage, and knowing that the ship did not have a quick turnover in Barcelona, we decided to try to wait it out in our room. That only lasted around 10 minutes before the staff knocked on our door and asked us to vacate. At least it was mid-afternoon this time (not early morning), but it is very annoying that hours before docking, all passengers are pushed into the common areas with their luggage in tow. It overwhelms the tiny elevators, and it is inefficient as everyone needs to do it again once the ship arrives in port. This is a common procedure with ferries, but it will always be an annoyance to me, as a customer.

In Barcelona, the ship arrived at a dedicated ferry terminal with a nice-looking Italian restaurant in the building. Unlike the nearby cruise port, the ferry terminal has a bus connection to town. We caught an Uber to our hotel, although it took some time for the driver to arrive due to the traffic in the area.

At $140, the ferry is an economical option.

An overnight ferry combines transportation and lodging expenses. We paid $140 for two fares and the most basic inside cabin. This compares favorably to the cost of a flight and checked baggage, especially with one night’s lodging included (for what it was). If I were near an airport, or if time were a greater factor, I would have flown.

Like other cruise ferries, higher-class rooms are available (larger but barely higher in quality), and there are numerous cheaper options. One can share a cabin with strangers or sleep in a large room filled with “Pullman seats,” an experience that is somewhere between a dark movie theater and an airplane. The least expensive is to book the fare with no accommodation. Without the ability to return to your vehicle during the voyage, that means figuring something out in the common areas. This ship had “no camping” signs in the common areas but I am not sure how the rules are enforced.

This was a better Grimaldi experience than our previous one on the Tunisia route, but overall our experience with Grimaldi has been generally negative. Other ferry companies compete with Grimaldi on certain routes, and I would certainly try any of them if presented with the option. I would especially try GNV since our ferry trip on SNAV was reasonably good, and both are owned by MSC.