Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia headed off on Wednesday for its final journey to the port of Genoa where it will get scrapped.

The removal of the 290 meters long and more than 114.000-ton cruise ship is considered the biggest maritime salvage operation ever.

The ship sank in January 2012 when the captain steered it too close to a reef near the coast of Giglio, an Italian island. There were 32 people who died in the accident.

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Nine days ago, Costa Concordia refloated and was kept to the surface by giant buoyancy chambers. The enclosed chambers are filled with material that will keep the ship floating.

More than a dozen tug vessels took part in the ship's refloating operation.

The cruise speed on the last journey to Genoa will be around two knots, which is close to walking speed.

Its course will take it from Corsica and close to the islands of Elba and Capri, before it reaches Genoa late Saturday evening.

Senior salvage master, Nick Sloane, told BBC early on Wednesday, that everything was going well and according to the plan.

French authorities will monitor Costa Concordia's last cruise to avoid fears of possible oil leaks that could cause environmental damage

All bodies of the deceased were taken out of the shipwreck. However, investigators still search for the body of an Indian waiter, Russel Rebello, whose body has not yet been found.

Costa Crociere, owners of Costa Concordia, estimates that the operation to remove the wreck from the reef, and its subsequent towing to and eventual scrapping in Genoa will cost around US$2 billion in total.

The captain on Costa Concordia on the night of the accident, Francesco Schettino, was later charged with multiple manslaughter for abandoning ship and causing a maritime disaster.

He was the first to jump off the ship in a lifeboat when it got stuck on the reef and later turned upside down, before it sank.

TagsCosta Concordia, Shipwreck, See accidents