GIGLIO ISLAND, Italy (AFP) - Italian salvage workers said they would begin towing away the Costa Concordia cruise ship wreck on Tuesday on a final voyage to the port of Genoa for scrapping - a day later than originally scheduled.

"We have decided it would be preferable to begin the operation on Tuesday," the head of Italy's civil protection agency, Franco Gabrielli, who is heading up the salvage operation, said on Saturday.