The wreck of the Costa Concordia will be removed by September at the latest, officials overseeing the work have said.
The ship has been lying on its side off the Italian island of Giglio since it capsized a year ago with the loss of 32 lives.
It is due to be lifted upright and towed to the mainland for dismantling.
Giving the latest time schedule, officials said that it might be possible to remove the Concordia as early as June, the BBC reported.
The ship hit rocks and sank off the Italian coast on January 13, 2012.
The captain is accused of causing a shipwreck, manslaughter and abandoning ship before all passengers were evacuated.