Cruise Ships

Almost three years into the legal battle over Bar Harbor's limit to cruise ship disembarkations, a panel of First Circuit justices has sided with the town — but a lower court will have to decide if the town should have used a less restrictive approach.

After years of debate and litigation, Bar Harbor is seeing significantly fewer cruise ships this summer.

The vote follows a recommendation from Harbor Master Katherine Given who raised concerns about safety and navigation connected with the eight larger passenger ships that docked last summer and the tour busses that transport the visitors to neighboring cities.

Bar Harbor attorneys were back in court today at the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, for the latest arguments in a lawsuit concerning the town's controversial 1,000-person daily limit for cruise ship visitors.

When residents of Bar Harbor go to the polls next month, they'll be asked to approve a new ordinance that would raise the limit on cruise ship visitors, and replace the existing cap of 1,000 people per day enacted two years ago.

The city asked Central Maine Power to study the feasibility of creating a transmission system that would allow 3 cruise ships to get power off the grid and shut down their engines while in port.

The town council approved a new ordinance that sets a daily limit of 3,200 cruise passengers a day. But it won't go into effect unless residents vote to eliminate the original 1,000 passenger daily cap this fall.

Portland will receive 153 cruise ships this season, carrying more than 200,000 passengers. It's the city's busiest cruise season yet.

The potential ordinance would set up a new licensing system for the town to enter into contracts with cruise lines, said council chair Valerie Peacock. The year-round daily limit would be 3,200 people, and the town sets a monthly cap that varies by season.

Town officials in Bar Harbor have approved new rules for the town's cruise ship ordinance.