The ship was built as hull 5877[4] at Fincantieri's shipyard at Monfalcone, completed in 1991, and was Costa Cruises' first purpose-built newbuild since Eugenio C in 1966.

[6] The custom artwork on board was by Arnaldo Pomodoro, Emilio Tadini, Sergio Benvenuti, Isaac Maimon and Augusto Vignali.

[12] On 13 December, it was revealed that the ship had been purchased by Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, who would rename the vessel Grand Classica.

[13] The ship began sailing out from the Port of Palm Beach on 13 April 2018, and initially operated 2-day round-trip cruises to Freeport, Grand Bahama Island.

[18][19] In September, she was chartered for a month to house Entergy Corporation workers restoring power in Louisiana following Hurricane Ida.

[21] On 8 December 2021, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line entered into a partnership agreement with Margaritaville Resorts & Hotels to operate the brand on its behalf, beginning in April 2022.

[24] The renovated ship returned to the port of Palm Beach on 10 May, with the inaugural cruise taking place four days later.

[25][26] In May 2023, the ship underwent a 2-week drydocking before reentering service on 2 June, during which she was completely refreshed, featuring new dining venues, new menus, fitness center upgrades, a pickleball court, and two new theater shows.

[29] On 18 October 2010, Costa Classica collided with the Belgian-flagged cargo ship Lowlands Longevity near the deep water channel of the Yangtze River as she returned to Shanghai from Jeju, Korea.

News images showed a gash along the starboard side of Costa Classica that stretched about 60 feet, and well above the ship's waterline.

Despite claims by the cruise line and travel agency that they had secured the necessary governmental approvals, the ship was denied entry and diverted to Nassau, Bahamas.