Bar Harbor residents voted to uphold a 1000-passenger per day cap for visiting cruise ships, rejecting a town council proposal that sought to increase this limit. Preliminary results reported by The Bar Harbor Story indicated a close vote, with 1776 opposing and 1713 supporting the proposed adjustments.
If passed, the measure would have allowed up to 3200 cruise ship passengers to disembark on scheduled port days.
This debate, ongoing 2+ years, has created tension between residents concerned about cruise impacts and local businesses that benefit from visitor traffic. Town officials remain in a challenging position, tasked with enforcing the voter-mandated 1,000-passenger cap established in 2022 while also defending it against legal challenges. Officials have noted that enforcing this cap could prompt lawsuits from cruise lines if they were to cancel pre-scheduled visits, some booked more than a year in advance.
The current daily cap has also led to a legal dispute with local businesses, which argue that the 1,000-passenger limit conflicts with federal regulations. With the rejection of the council’s proposed adjustment, this case is likely to proceed in federal court.
Proponents of the 1000-passenger limit argue that it represents the will of voters and should remain intact. They voiced concerns that any increase would bypass the original intent of residents who voted to curb cruise traffic, limiting their ability to influence future changes without council approval.
Had it passed, the council’s proposal would have permitted a daily cap of 3200 passengers and set monthly and annual limits, capping total annual cruise visitors at 200,000 - still a reduction from recent visitor totals.