It's not as bad as that, but it's not trivial to get to level cap like in more recent games. Part of that is that FFXI was designed when hardcore grinding was all the rage, part of that is due to the fact that FFXI is 99% PvE. That changes the dynamics quite a bit, since you don't have to be max level to participate in many events.

Another thing to consider is that changes over the years have made FFXI considerably more solo- or small group-friendly. You'll still need help to get to 75, and it will still take you a while.