Bar Harbor’s cruise ship battle has cost the town $111K in less than a year

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 11, 2026

In less than a year, Bar Harbor has spent more than $111,000 on legal and regulatory expenses tied to ongoing disputes of the town’s controversial cruise ship passenger cap, which a federal judge ruled partially unconstitutional last month. In May, U.S. District Court Judge Lance Walker ruled that the town’s cruise ship ordinance — a voter-approved cap that limits cruise ships to disembarking no more than 1,000 passengers per day — can only be enforced during July and August, the town’s peak tourist season.