The discussion comes as the town navigates cruise ship restrictions, legal rulings, and broader questions about sustainable tourism.
just now
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Edward Jones Financial Advisor: Elise N. Frank.
BAR HARBOR—After lawsuits, voter-approved changes, and a decision that the recent town ordinance is partially unconstitutional, the cruise ship conversation in Bar Harbor is starting up again. This time, it’s the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce leading the public conversation in a “Community Forum on Cruise Ships” scheduled for Wednesday, November 18 from 5:30 p.m., to 7:00 p.m., at the Jesup Library.
The Bar Harbor Town Council has met about cruise ships with its attorney during executive sessions, which can be legally closed to the public when it’s about lawsuits or personnel matters.
The chamber forum is open to all.
It comes shortly after Cruise Maine’s release of its 2025 survey of cruise ship visitors who travelled to Maine.
The Maine Office of Tourism and CruiseMaine had commissioned a consultant to study the state’s cruise ship visitors, conducting research between April 17 and November 5, 2025.
Bar Harbor used to be a primary cruise ship stop for the state. Since the town voters changed disembarkation rules, the town had potentially 56,164 visitors (counted by berth capacity) in the 2025 season. Many of those visitors came on ships that were already approved prior to the changes, which have been deemed unconstitutional in months that are not July and August by Judge Lance Walker.
Proponents of the ordinance had spoken to pedestrian congestion in the downtown area, which negatively impacted their quality of life. Opponents of the ordinance change said that a 1,000-daily disembarkation limit (without fines) would negatively impact their businesses and that it was too strict.
The 1,000 limit was approved by voters in 2022 as part of a citizens’ petition and referendum. That had passed 1,780 to 1,273, a difference of 507 votes or 16%. The article had asked for a repeal of the 1,000-passenger daily disembarkation cap so that the Bar Harbor Town Council could put a different limitation plan in place using different mechanisms.
A compromise solution proposed by the Town Council in 2024 failed by 63 votes (less than 2 percent). Of the 3,489 votes cast, 1,713 voted in favor of the repeal and 1,776 voted in favor of keeping the ordinance as is.
The recounted vote was upheld 1,779 (no) to 1,714 (yes).
Bar Harbor is adjacent to Acadia National Park and has approximately 5,000 year-round residents and its business economy is partially dependent on tourism.
“The town continues to actively address the legal, regulatory, and operational matters surrounding cruise ship activities, including the administration and enforcement of Chapter 52,” Bar Harbor Town Manager James Smith said, November 11. “Town government has the responsibility, within the limits of applicable law, to manage tourism and its impacts on the community. Cruise ship tourism is no exception.”
“Our responsibility is to uphold the law, protect the public interest, and ensure that tourism is managed responsibly, with the needs and well-being of the entire community at the forefront,” Smith continued.
The town currently has a lodging moratorium and a Sustainable Tourism Task Force that is expected to have a report of suggestions to the Town Council in the next few months. The town’s Cruise Ship Committee, which included people who worked in the industry, had also created recommendations. That committee was unanimously disbanded by the Bar Harbor Town Council in September 2023.
The Chamber forum’s invitation reads, “Join fellow business owners, residents, and local leaders for an open, constructive discussion on the role and impact of cruise tourism in our community. As Bar Harbor looks to the cruise ship season ahead, this forum aims to facilitate clear dialogue, review current operations, and explore collaborative paths forward.”
THE REPORT’S FINDINGS.
Ships of all sizes were included in the Cruise Maine report as were all cruise lines and 3,391 passengers responded.
According to the report’s key findings visitors are “highly pleased” with their stays.
The average visitor left the ship and spent three hours on shore at each stop. Most travelled in groups of two on shore (64%). The average cruise visitor is a little over 60 and has an annual income of $120,000. Most have college degrees (80%) and live in the United States (80%).
“Three out of four cruise visitors toured port towns on foot in 2025. Far fewer, but still one out of four visitors, used shore excursion buses, and no more than one out of ten used any other form of transportation while on shore,” the report states.
Also, according to the report, “At least nine out of ten visitors toured or explored while on shore, and half went shopping. Three out of ten visited a specific historic or cultural attraction, and two out of ten engaged in outdoor activities.”
Each cruise ship visitor spends roughly $80 at each port. One source said that Bar Harbor’s visitors typically spend $100, but outreach to verify this with the Maine Department of Tourism was not responded to by press time.
“At the start of the 2022 cruise season, 174 cruise ships of all sizes were scheduled to visit Bar Harbor with a total lower berth capacity of 292,212 passengers,” Cruise Maine’s Sarah Flink said in a court affidavit.
In 2023, the town began memoranda of agreements with the cruise lines and that decreased the schedule for the 2023 season to 134 visiting ships with a total lower berth capacity of 258,157.
By 2024’s season, that number had decreased to 100 with 181,926, Flink said. And for 2025, the requests have been approved for 18 ships with 57,482 passengers.
The difference between 2023 and 2025 was 236,048. That number multiplied by $80 is roughly $18,900,000 in lost revenue for local businesses. Fees to the town have also decreased.
“In all, passengers and crew spent $22 million in Maine in 2025 – including their shore visits and the time they spent in the state before and after their cruise,” the report states.
“This economic study is one of many that have accurately demonstrated how beneficial cruise ship visitation is to the economic health of our community and our State. There are too many business owners, employees, and taxpayers that have suffered significant losses from cruise ships being forced to abandon Bar Harbor for several years. The most recent ruling from the Courts makes it clear that there are 10 months cruise ships can visit. It’s time to follow that ruling and resume scheduling cruise ships. The damages and losses need to end and we need to move forward,” said Eben Salvatore of Ocean Properties.
The Golden Anchor LLC has historically disembarked cruise ships in Bar Harbor at the Harborside Property. Since the town has changed the process from a license to permits, the company has received notice of violations for not abiding to the new rules.
The local disembarkation permit is not simply a means of enforcing passenger limits. It provides a framework for coordinating activities, managing demands on municipal services and infrastructure, monitoring impacts, and ensuring accountability for operations occurring within the town’s jurisdiction,” Smith said.
“The town cannot issue a disembarkation permit that has not been applied for. The applicable permitting process remains available, and applications will be reviewed in accordance with the Town’s ordinances and legal obligations,” Smith continued. “The town also distinguishes between a vessel’s ability to anchor in federal waters and the authorization required to receive passengers at facilities on land. Confirmation of anchorage requests does not constitute authorization for disembarkation.”
The Golden Anchor was also involved in the lawsuit against the town, where Judge Walker eventually ruled the town’s ordinance was partially unconstitutional.
The Bar Harbor Chamber was once a member of one of the organizations (APPLL) that had been involved in that lawsuit. The Chamber is no longer a member.
Cruise lines themselves spent $12 million in Maine in 2025. Most of that is from port fees/municipal taxes ($5.4 million) and marine services ($3.8 million).
“Spending by cruise visitors and cruise lines increased the state’s GDP by almost $28 million, supported 460 jobs, and generated $3 million in tax revenue for Maine in 2025,” the report states.
Most of the information about ports, passengers received by cruise lines (76& and then the internet (not social media).
”One out of four passengers in 2025 are likely to return to Maine by cruise in the next five years. Even more – one out of three visitors overall – are likely to return to Maine by other means in that timeframe. Most of the rest would at least consider returning to the state,” the report states.
FORUM DETAILS
Event Details
- Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026
- Time: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
- Location: Jesup Memorial Library (34 Mt Desert St)
- Format: In-person
- Admission: Free and open to all Mount Desert Island residents, business owners, and employees
Agenda
- 5:15 PM – 5:30 PM | Arrival & Welcome
- Doors open early for sign-in and informal greeting.
- 5:30 PM – 5:50 PM | 2026 Season in Review
- Chamber presentation outlining operational highlights from the 2026 cruise season, including passenger numbers, tender operations, downtown foot-traffic patterns, and economic metrics.
- 5:50 PM – 6:20 PM | Looking Ahead: 2027 & Beyond
- A guided presentation on upcoming schedule projections, evolving regulations, passenger service caps, and long-term infrastructure considerations for Mount Desert Island.
- 6:20 PM – 6:55 PM | Community Open Discussion & Feedback
- Facilitated floor discussion open to all attendees. Participants are invited to share observations from the past year, voice concerns, and propose priorities for future season planning.
- 6:55 PM – 7:00 PM | Next Steps & Adjournment
- Summary of key community input and details on how feedback will be shared with town committees and council members.
Advance Registration & Submissions
While registration is not required to attend, RSVPing helps us ensure adequate seating. If you would like to submit a question or topic for the panel to address during the Q&A segment, please submit it via email to events@visitbarharbor.com by Monday, November 16.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
More information and link to register
All graphics (except for the cruise ship forum) via Cruise Maine report.
HELP SUPPORT THE BAR HARBOR STORY
When we started The Bar Harbor Story, we didn’t know if anyone would read it. But you showed up. You shared. You sent tips. Now—over 400,000 views every month later—it’s clear: people here care about their community and each other.
We’ve kept everything free because news should never be out of reach, but every one of our stories takes time to write, and your support keeps The Bar Harbor Story going.
If you value our work, please consider a paid subscription, a founding membership, or a sponsorship.
It truly helps us cover one more meeting, tell one more story, shine one more light.
Even $5 a month makes a difference. Click here to become a one-time supporter now.
Thank you so much for being here.
Founding member information can be found here.
Have questions about sponsorships? Just send Shaun an email at sfarrar86@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you.
We don’t have ad reps. We don’t have matching grants. We just have us working our butts off and trying to make sure you all get daily news about your community and celebrating your community. If you’d like to help us out? It would be amazing. But this is about you, not us, so if you can’t? No worries. Thank you for being here.
Make a monthly donation
Make a yearly donation
Choose an amount
Or enter a custom amount
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
Discover more from Bar Harbor Story
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.