Bar Harbor’s Cruise Ban Partially Overturned...

US District Court docket Decide Lance Walker is laying down the regulation in Bar Harbor, Maine, a minimum of in the case of cruise ship bans.

Since 2022, a citizen-led cruise ship ban that imposes a day by day cap of 1,000 cruise ship passengers has been in place within the small coastal city, which serves because the gateway to the well-known Acadia Nationwide Park.

However on Might 15, 2026, Decide Walker launched a 32-page order declaring that the ordinance is unconstitutional exterior of July and August, which is Bar Harbor’s busy season that coincides with optimum climate for exploring the nationwide park.

“I conclude that the ordinance’s 1,000-passenger cap just isn’t clearly extreme in relation to its native advantages through the peak summer time tourism season however is clearly extreme in relation to the shoulder seasons,” Judge Walker wrote, in part.

“Accordingly, I declare the ordinance unconstitutional and unenforceable in all months apart from July and August,” he continued.

Curiously, Cruise Hive reported that the exact same Decide Walker upheld most of the ordinance in February of 2024 throughout an earlier stage of the continuing authorized battle.

Bar Harbor’s City Council is predicted to fulfill in an govt session on Might 19, 2026, to evaluation the choice, focus on subsequent steps, and obtain recommendation from authorized counsel.

Ban Supporters Aren’t Able to Give Up

The locals pushed for the day by day cap to fight extreme downtown congestion associated to overtourism, defend the native atmosphere, and protect the standard of life for the roughly 5,300 residents.

Unsurprisingly, the proponents of the ban should not prepared to surrender with out a struggle. Native businessman Charles Sidman, who has fought to uphold the ban, issued a joint assertion to Bangor Daily News along with his legal professional, Robert Papazian.

Supporters have pledged to attraction the choice, and convey the matter again to the voters if essential.

“Bar Harbor residents have voted twice now that we don’t simply need extra restricted cruise disembarkations two months of the yr; we would like it year-round. We would like our downtown again, even through the shoulder seasons,” the assertion reads, partly.

The votes they’re referring to are the unique vote that allowed the ban to enter impact in 2022, in addition to a more moderen vote in 2024, the place residents narrowly rejected a proposal to boost the day by day restrict. This choice was confirmed in a subsequent recount.

“In any occasion, Decide Walker’s choice won’t stand…It isn’t sensible or attainable for a federal decide to micromanage cruise tourism in Bar Harbor. We’ll attraction and hope that the city authorities does too,” the assertion continued.

Decide Walker, in the meantime, argued that what could also be truthful for the height tourism intervals will not be truthful and balanced for the remainder of the yr.

Cruise Tourism Might Make a Comeback

Due to the ban, cruise tourism has steadily decreased yr over yr because the cruise traces avoid the world for extra welcoming alternate options. For instance, Portland is barely round 100 nautical miles away from Bar Harbor and has no passenger limitations.

In accordance with the town of Bar Harbor, slightly below 50,000 cruise friends are anticipated to go to in 2026. That is down from an estimated 67,000 friends in 2025, and roughly 182,000 in 2024.

This decline has, unsurprisingly, led to a big loss in income for native companies concerned in tourism and cruise ship tendering.

Affiliation to Protect and Defend Native Livelihoods (APPLL), the Penobscot Bay and River Pilots Affiliation, and different native companies felt the ban was unconstitutional from the very starting and filed a lawsuit towards the city in 2022.

It’ll take time for the cruise business to return to Bar Harbor, particularly because the cruise traces plan and launch itineraries years prematurely. They’ll probably additionally wait to return till they’re certain the authorized battle has ended for good.

Cruise Hive will proceed to watch how the overturned ban might proceed to have an effect on the city, and the cruise business, going ahead.