MSC Cruises, the Geneva based cruise company, said that it has been named Official Cruise Carrier of Expo 2015, the Universal Exposition that since 1851 has celebrated human achievement and debated the big questions facing humanity.

"Under the partnership, MSC Cruises, the market leader in the Mediterranean, South Africa and Brazil, will proudly display the Expo Milano 2015 logo on the hull of MSC Fantasia, which will sail in the Med throughout 2015," MSC Cruises said in a statement.

MSC Cruises will also be an official vendor, so that guests can buy Expo tickets on board and attend the event by joining special shore excursions when calling at Genoa and La Spezia. Between May and October MSC Cruises will bring nearly 600,000 cruise passengers through these two ports alone.

This collaboration between MSC Cruises and Expo Milano 2015 will formally kick off at the Borsa Italiana del Turismo 2015 (BIT) tourism trade show, where MSC Cruises will have a presence on the Expo Milano 2015 stand.

This year’s Expo, in Milan from 1 May to 31 October, explores the issue of sustainability in food, under the slogan “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”.