Cruises
Bar Harbor Struggles with Cruise Ship Limits as Judge Overturns Ordinance
A federal judge in Maine partially overturned Bar Harbor's cruise ship restrictions on May 15, 2026, ruling the 1,000-passenger daily cap excessive outside peak summer months. The town of 3,500 residents faces competing interests: residents citing downtown congestion from 100+ annual cruise ships, versus businesses dependent on tourism. Bar Harbor has declined reservations, expecting fewer than 50,000 cruise visitors in 2026, and established a Sustainable Tourism Task Force to balance competing interests.
