Residents Reject Increase in Cruise Passenger Cap in Bar Harbor

Voters in Bar Harbor, Maine on Tuesday voted against a proposal that would lift the 1,000-passenger daily cruise ship cap.

Residents had voted in favor of the cap two years ago, and the new vote on Tuesday would have lifted that 1,000-passenger limit to 3,200 passengers daily. Voters narrowly defeated the proposal, 1,776 to 1,713 on Tuesday, according to Bangor Daily News.

The 1,000-passenger limit effectively bans any large cruise ship from docking in Bar Harbor, which typically receives more than four million tourists in a single year. Residents have long complained about the volume of visitors that come when large ships dock in Bar Harbor.

The next ship scheduled to come into Bar Habor, Viking Neptune, isn’t on the books until next spring and would be okay under the new rules as it’s below the 1,000-passenger limit.

There remain questions as to when the cap will go into effect—the town has yet to officially start enforcing the rule because of cruise ship schedules already on the books and legal challenges from local businesses, which are expected to continue after Tuesday’s vote.

In May, a federal judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine ruled that the limits are legal and can be enforced.