BUSINESSES in Bar Harbor are suing the town to overturn its new limit on cruise ship visits (CW 14 Nov 2022), claiming the cap is “unconstitutional” and will hurt the local economy. The law was adopted by voters in Nov, and limits cruise ships to 1,000 passengers per day in...
BUSINESSES in Bar Harbor are suing the town to overturn its new limit on cruise ship visits (CW 14 Nov 2022), claiming the cap is “unconstitutional” and will hurt the local economy.
The law was adopted by voters in Nov, and limits cruise ships to 1,000 passengers per day in town during the season.
The cap was proposed in response to complaints about downtown congestion during Bar Harbor’s cruise season, when more than 150 ships typically visit.
However, according to a local report, complainants believe it “immediately renders the town an unviable destination port-of-call”.
Bar Harbor for years has long tried to promote itself as an attractive destination for cruise ships, with the complaint noting the cap will lead lines to shift their calls to other ports.
Once that’s done, “it could take years to re-establish cruise line confidence in calling at the port of Bar Harbor,” the complaint said.
