New England cruise destination Bar Harbor is pressing ahead with a $4 million fine against the town’s pier owner for violating its cruise ship ordnance.
Town officials say pier owner Golden Anchor LC disembarked thousands of cruise passengers without securing the required permit.
Pier Operator Failed to Apply for Permits
The ordinance caps daily cruise ship passenger arrivals at 1,000.
The cruise port operator must have a valid permit for the days when cruise passengers disembark at the company’s two piers.
Officials say Golden Anchor disembarked cruise ship passengers without a Cruise Ship Disembarkation Facility license on 47 separate days.
The enforcement action also calls for the pier operator to stop accepting arriving cruise ships until it obtains the required permit.
Additionally, it claims Golden Anchor knowingly disembarked a combined 12,742 passengers over and above the 1,000-passenger daily cap during the course of six separate days.
“The Town of Bar Harbor is moving forward to responsibly implement and enforce the ordinance and serve the best interest of the entire community,” the town said in a statement.
An earlier appeal by the pier operator was unsuccessful.
“Having completed the local administrative appeal of the Code Enforcement Officer’s notice of violation, this is the next step in recovering fines and asking the Court to order the pier owner to follow the law.”
Cruise Limit Was Passed by Public Ballot
The ordinance, which was voted for by residents, has faced various legal challenges from Golden Anchor and local Bar Harbor businesses.
Initially passed in 2022, a bid to overturn it by public ballot was narrowly defeated in late 2024.
“The community chose to stay with the land use ordinance. It is the law of the land, and it’s the town’s job to enforce that ordinance,” said Bar Harbor Town Council Chair Val Peacock.
The enforcement action will be heard at the Maine District Court next month.
