ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 1, 2021
The Bar Harbor Town Council is set to discuss new limitations on cruise ships at a meeting on Tuesday. Cruise ships bring millions of dollars to the community but a recent survey found that a majority of residents believe they have a negative overall impact on the town. “Part of this is just protecting the quality of life for our residents and for our visitors,” town councilor Gary Friedmann said. “Our town’s already overcrowded on many days.” The councilors will consider restricting the number of cruise ships, the number of passengers that come to shore, the maximum size of ships, the number of days a year cruise ships can visit, and where ships can anchor. Before the pandemic, Bar Harbor had roughly 170 cruise ship visits in 2019, with 270,000 cruise ship passengers funneled through the downtown waterfront.