I, and four friends, are going to be visiting Rome and then Barcelona this summer. I was looking at cheap ways to get from one to the other and found the Grimaldi Ferries. Does anyone know if that would be a good way to travel or should we just pay for airfare?

If you have lots of time and won't get bored on the ship, it's a good way to go. It takes one night and most of the next day.

I would think you could find cheap flights for less than the cost of the ferry. Have you checked out www.skyscanner.net ?

4 of you could have a good time on the boat - lots of entertainment like a bar and disco - on a nice day laze on deck-bring all your food and drink you want aboard.

But could be more expensive than flying.

Leaves from Civitavecchia, Rome's cruise terminal but I think may not operate every day.

Grimaldi ferries are very comfortable, it's like a mini cruise, very relaxing if the weather is fine. The service is daily all the year round.
But as Palen told you, it will take 20 hrs and is much more expensive than a vueling or easyjet flight.

It's a time saving solution for a Barcelona - Sardinia journey, however: you bord the ferry at Barcelona in the evening, have dinner on board, sleep in your cabin, have breakfast on board and arrive in Sardinia around 11am.

The cost on the ferry is more than €400 for 5 people, plus the cost of getting to the port from Rome. The flight cost for mid July varies between €54 & €90.

I'd fly every time with such a small cost difference. The flight will only cost about €300 for 5 people if you take an early flight.

Okay! Thank you so much for the information. We will probably fly since we don't have a lot of time in Barcelona.

please don't tell my DH about this ferry - he'd love it as much as I would hate it.

It certainly seems like a good way to get between Barcelona and Sardinia though.