Bar Harbor voters approve limiting the number of cruise ship passengers who can come ashore

BAR HARBOR, Maine (WABI) - Some major changes are coming to Bar Harbor’s tourist season.

Voters there passed a citizens initiative that would limit the number of cruise ship passengers who can come ashore in Bar Harbor to a thousand per day. The measure passed with around 58% of the vote.

Bar Harbor sees cruise throughout the tourist season, but ships come in almost daily in September in October, with the number of passengers coming ashore often numbering between 3,000 to 5,000.

The business community in Bar Harbor worries about the economic impact the lack of cruise ship passengers will have over the course of the tourist season.

“I don’t expect business owners to take this lying down,” said Bar Harbor Chamber Executive Director Alf Anderson. “I think there will be some fight, some challenge to this, whether it’s in the courts or elsewhere. I just feel like business owners are really getting the short end of the stick on this.”

The amendment exempts cruise ship visits that already were booked as of March 17 of next year.

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