[3] The fourth ship to be built to the Musica-class design, MSC Magnifica was constructed by STX Europe in their shipyard at Saint-Nazaire, France.

[2] The ship has 13 passenger accessible decks, three swimming pools,[2] a gymnasium, spa, and wellness center, a 1,250-seat Art Deco-style theatre, casino, cinema, bowling alley and a number of dining areas and bars.

[4] On 10 September 2019, it was announced that MSC Magnifica would be dry-docked for two months starting March 2021, to be refurbished and stretched by 23 metres (75 ft 6 in).

The ship was christened on 6 March 2010 at a ceremony in Hamburg by the godmother to the MSC Cruises fleet, Italian actress Sophia Loren.

[4] MSC Magnifica received criticism in April 2014 after it was revealed that Brazilian police had to rescue eleven crew members on board that were living in 'slave-like conditions' whilst docked in Salvador, Brazil.

[9] On May 9, 2014, during the celebration of the 825th Hamburg Port Anniversary, the song "Seven Nation Army" was played using the horns of MSC Magnifica as it entered the harbor.

[15][16][14] The ship was not allowed to dock in Dubai,[17] and instead on 6 April made a "technical stop" in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where a 75-year-old German heart patient and a Sri Lankan chef, who had made a successful plea on social media to be allowed to repatriate himself, were disembarked.