No Bar Harbor Oct NE/Canada Sailing

[WoodstockGirl]

Just got a notification that our fall NE/Canadian Cruise for the week of Oct 19 will not be porting in Bar Harbor, Maine on Oct 22nd. Does anyone here have a clue about why this is?  Is it just our particular week of cruise? Is there a situation with Bar Harbor?  I love stopping there for the day. 

We will be stopping in Portland Maine now instead. I've never been there.... any tips?

Thanks

[chrysalis]

perhaps....

 

Bar Harbor allowed to limit number of cruise ship visitors, judge rules | newscentermaine.com

[chengkp75]

Bar Harbor has ruled that if a cruise ship had made a reservation for a port call to Bar Harbor before the town council vote on the cruise passenger limits (which was Oct/Nov last year, if I remember right), then large ships would be allowed.  But, any reservations made after the council vote date would be limited to 1000 passengers per day.

 

Portland is a great city to visit, I've lived here for 50 years.  Great restaurants, lots to see.  Check the "Canada/New England" forum and look for threads on Portland, or search my posts on what to do or see.   It all depends on your activity level and interests.  I frequently recommend, and get positive feedback on, the Casco Bay Ferry "mailboat run", which has earned itself a "sticky" in the Canada/NE forum.  Great views of the islands and bay, and interesting to learn about and see the island lifestyle.

[TM]

We loved Bar Harbor, particularly with access to Acadia National Park, but as noted above the town is limiting the number of passengers on any given day.  We've been to Portland twice.  The last time we rented a car right near the dock and drove up to Camden, ME which was a charming small town.  Would definitely recommend that.

[chengkp75]

Camden is a nice town, but it is nearly 2 hour drive each way.

[cr8tiv1]

I did a "fire engine" one hour ride around Portland, ME.  (Also stopped in Bar Harbor and really enjoyed that port.). Enjoy some clam chowder along the waterfront.  Portland is less touristy than Bar Harbor with lots of window shopping to be done.  I think Bar Harbor shot themselves in the foot on this call.

[chengkp75]

36 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I think Bar Harbor shot themselves in the foot on this call.

I think that they got exactly what they wanted, and that is no excessive crushes of people on one day, marketing more for longer staying guests.  If more ships shift to Portland, I think it will follow suit, though not likely to the extreme limit that Bar Harbor set.  Lots of people around here are not big cruise ship passenger fans.

[cr8tiv1]

Bar Harbor was on my bucket list to visit Arcadia National Park.  Did a local tour.  The town was very crowded.  Extremely long line to get back on the water shuttle.  

 

I can understand a small town being over-run with tourists.  Happens in Hawaii too.  

 

The limit of 1000 passengers is going to eliminate all Princess ships as well as all of the other mainstream corporations.  I can see why they would prefer tourism by car.  They will spend a lot more money on accommodations, restaurants, etc.  

[WisCruiser2]

In October 2013 we spent the weekend in Bar Harbor while visiting our daughter in Boston. There were 3 or 4 cruise ships there on Saturday - we commented on how it felt to be on the other side of a port stop! 

[TRLD]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Bar Harbor was on my bucket list to visit Arcadia National Park.  Did a local tour.  The town was very crowded.  Extremely long line to get back on the water shuttle.  

 

I can understand a small town being over-run with tourists.  Happens in Hawaii too.  

 

The limit of 1000 passengers is going to eliminate all Princess ships as well as all of the other mainstream corporations.  I can see why they would prefer tourism by car.  They will spend a lot more money on accommodations, restaurants, etc.  

Unable to find any data on Bar Harbor, but data from Key West indicated that 50% of tourist days was from cruise ships and 50% from land travelers fly or drive). The half from cruise ships generated 15% of tourism spend, the land based half generated 85% of tourism spend.

 

If you are over run by tourists and negatively impacting quality of life in the town, which half are you going to limit?

 

I expect Bar Harbor numbers would be similar.

[doghog]

We always enjoyed our Bar Harbor stops.