The building of MSC Daniela was started on 1 July 2006 and finished at the end of 2008; the ship was subsequently crowned as the largest according to cargo capacity.

However, MSC Daniela is now neither the longest container ship in the world, nor does it have the largest tonnage.

Powered by a MAN SE B&W 12K98MC-C diesel engine with total output of 73,290 kilowatts (98,280 hp), the vessel is able to realize a maximum speed of 25.2 knots (46.7 km/h; 29.0 mph), while the cruising speed is 23.5 knots (43.5 km/h; 27.0 mph).

[1] In April 2017, MSC Daniela suffered extensive damage when a container caught fire approximately 120 miles (190 km) off Colombo.

[2] The ship was repaired jointly by the CIC Changxing Shipyard and COSCO Qidong Offshore and was successfully redelivered to MSC in late August.