In order to enhance the authenticity and accuracy simulation of passengers’ evacuation in ships, a new multi-grid model is proposed on the basis of cellular automata theory. By finer lattice the multi-grid model could enhance the continuity of passengers’ track and the precision of boundary’s qualification compared with traditional cellular automata model. Attraction, repulsion and friction are also quantized in the multi-grid model to present the impact of interaction force among pedestrians. Furthermore, crowd’s evacuation simulated by traditional cellular automata and multi-grid model in single exit room and typical cabin environment have been taken as examples to analyze crowd’s motion laws. It is found that the laws of passengers’ evacuation simulated by the two models are similar, and the simulation authenticity and accuracy is enhanced by the multi-grid model.