Bar Harbor voters back tougher restrictions on cruise ships

[Another_Critic]

6 minutes ago, flamingos said:

We had a great time walking around, but the few restaurants they had were full of ship's tasting tours for the first 3 hours.  We got snacks and tea/coffee from the high school kids who set up a booth.  Who doesn't want to support a bunch of industrious kids who got to skip school to practice their English on us?   But the grocery stores were great, and I wish I had known we could have taken our passports to the Post Office to get stamped from Greenland!

We got French hot dogs from the general store.

 

The bugs enjoyed the tasty tourists.  😲

 

Edited November 10, 2022 by Another_Critic

[barbeyg]

8 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

My hope for a replacement is Newport, RI.

 

I've never been to RI. It'll be great to check off another state on my list.

Newport is a very cool town to visit. We spent 2 days there as we travelled through NE by car, and will return there.

[time4u2go]

4 hours ago, alfaeric said:

As much as you don't think so, they do have control over other traffic.  If the city cut the number of hotel rooms available in half, it would also cut the road traffic.  Let alone there are controls of the number of cars based on the road widths and traffic control.

 

Controlling number of hotel rooms is close enough to controlling the number of passenger ships in port to me.

 

And I really don't see a constant summer of people flooding the town the same as the handful of items that are in Daytona each year.  IIRC, there have been some attempts to reign in spring breakers.  But if you don't have an issue with that, awesome.  Don't get angry at people who DO, though. 

 

BTW, which Amendment gives you the right to free travel?  Must have missed that one in civics class.

Well said! 

[Steeler Nation At Sea]

3 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

 

The bugs enjoyed the tasty tourists.  😲

 

 

No bites, but, inhaled?  ✔ 

Swallowed? ✔ 

[time4u2go]

5 hours ago, alfaeric said:

BTW, which Amendment gives you the right to free travel?  Must have missed that one in civics class.

I'm wondering that too. 

[DirtyDawg]

4 hours ago, time4u2go said:

Exactly!  Let the people of a city decide what's best for themselves, and not be controlled by external forces/desires.

Agreed. It seems like some of our fellow cruisers are taking this vote personally. The good people of Bar Harbor don't hate us as individuals. We cruisers are like my three year old granddaughter. We are  sweet, inquisitive, funny and a sheer joy to spend a day with except for the one or two temper tantrums, of course. 😉

 

But I'm not so sure I'd want to spend a day with 5,000 of her and her friends.  😵

 

Edited November 11, 2022 by DirtyDawg

[flamingos]

9 hours ago, RedIguana said:

I am not saying anyone has a right to their homes, just public areas. Public areas are not their home. I have lived through many special events that create traffic gridlock. Although it is a pretty good inconvenience, as an American I have to defend other Americans right of free travel.

So you're going to go to Bar Harbor and force them to change their votes?  I'm curious as to how you plan to accomplish this.

[Tree_skier]

20 hours ago, alfaeric said:

As much as you don't think so, they do have control over other traffic.  If the city cut the number of hotel rooms available in half, it would also cut the road traffic.  Let alone there are controls of the number of cars based on the road widths and traffic control.

 

Controlling number of hotel rooms is close enough to controlling the number of passenger ships in port to me.

 

And I really don't see a constant summer of people flooding the town the same as the handful of items that are in Daytona each year.  IIRC, there have been some attempts to reign in spring breakers.  But if you don't have an issue with that, awesome.  Don't get angry at people who DO, though. 

 

BTW, which Amendment gives you the right to free travel?  Must have missed that one in civics class.

 

14 hours ago, time4u2go said:

I'm wondering that too. 

The Supreme Court has ruled the 5th and 14th amendment apply.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_movement_under_United_States_law

Edited November 11, 2022 by Tree_skier

[alfaeric]

5 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_movement_under_United_States_law

So you can freely cross state lines.  That doesn't mean that a community can't control the flow in and out of their locations.  They do in multiple ways- road size, number of hotel rooms, number of bar licences, number of restaurant licences, and- as we are seeing here- number of cruise ship passengers.

 

None of those restrictions have been challenged via your SCOTUS law.  Just sayn.  All that ruling really means is that the states are not considered independent countries that have immigration controls between them.

 

If you want to go up to Bar Harbor and start a lawsuit, I fully encourage you.

Edited November 11, 2022 by alfaeric

[Tree_skier]

52 minutes ago, alfaeric said:

 

 

If you want to go up to Bar Harbor and start a lawsuit, I fully encourage you.

I have no interest in going to Bar Harbor.  My preference is they drop Bar Harbor immediately.  However, to continually assert that there is no constitutional precedent to challenge the implementation of this plebiscite is disingenuous. 

 

 

Edited November 11, 2022 by Tree_skier

[Charles4515]

59 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

I have no interest in going to Bar Harbor.  My preference is they drop Bar Harbor immediately.  However, to continually assert that there is no constitutional precedent to challenge the implementation of this plebiscite is disingenuous. 

 

 

 

If  there is constitutional precident likely someone will file suit to challenge on those grounds. I would not be surprised if there are not lawsuits filed on some kind of grounds as we are a litigatous country. 

 

You seem to be taking Bar Harbors actions personally. I am sure they are fine with you having no interest and probably prefer you stay away but as far as dropping Bar Harbor immediately that would be  be unfair to booked passengers. 

 

 

Edited November 11, 2022 by Charles4515

[time4u2go]

1 hour ago, alfaeric said:

So you can freely cross state lines.  That doesn't mean that a community can't control the flow in and out of their locations.  They do in multiple ways- road size, number of hotel rooms, number of bar licences, number of restaurant licences, and- as we are seeing here- number of cruise ship passengers.

 

None of those restrictions have been challenged via your SCOTUS law.  Just sayn.  All that ruling really means is that the states are not considered independent countries that have immigration controls between them.

 

If you want to go up to Bar Harbor and start a lawsuit, I fully encourage you.

Agreed. 

[fenton04]

Bar Harbor they put the Con in the Constitution.  Just sayin.....

[time4u2go]

13 minutes ago, fenton04 said:

Bar Harbor they put the Con in the Constitution.  Just sayin.....

What?

[ticketsunlimited]

On 11/9/2022 at 3:11 PM, reallyitsmema said:

Portland, Maine also had a similar ballot question on Tuesday but it did not pass.

Failed miserably.  I would have been pissed if they limited the ships in Portland.  Really apples and oranges though.  So much more access here in southern Maine.  Better place to start off for excursions...It will definitely make the RCI New England trips less appealing.  Bar Harbor is a nice stop.

[Charles4515]

3 hours ago, alfaeric said:

So you can freely cross state lines.  That doesn't mean that a community can't control the flow in and out of their locations.  They do in multiple ways- road size, number of hotel rooms, number of bar licences, number of restaurant licences, and- as we are seeing here- number of cruise ship passengers.

There is something though that could stymie the will of the local Bar Harbor community. The state of Maine would have an interest in the matter and may have a say. 

[fenton04]

Visitors, no matter how they arrive, are vital to Maine’s economy,” a spokesperson for CruiseMaine told T+L after the vote. “Each year, cruise visitors contribute tens of millions of dollars to the economy and support hundreds of jobs. In the coming days and weeks, CruiseMaine will work with businesses and other stakeholders directly impacted by the ballot measure to help them navigate these changes.”

Kevin L. Sutherland, the Bar Harbor town manager, told T+L the town’s council would meet Thursday evening “to discuss their duties and responsibilities with legal counsel,” but declined to comment further.

 

I copied this from a travel  and leisure article  addressing Bar Harbor regulations.

[flamingos]

1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

There is something though that could stymie the will of the local Bar Harbor community. The state of Maine would have an interest in the matter and may have a say. 

That's what happened in Florida - the governor claimed a 'state interest' (but never defined it) and changed the rules about port authority to take away Key West's home rule. Miami, Tampa and Canaveral objected because it might have affected them, but when it was rewritten to be specific to one port that defied him, the other ports looked the other way.  A fine example of democracy in action......

Edited November 11, 2022 by flamingos

[Ashland]

We have an Canada/NE itinerary for Oct 2023 onboard Liberty so am I to assume that Bar Harbor will be a no and when will RCI notify us about this change?

[flamingos]

13 hours ago, Ashland said:

We have an Canada/NE itinerary for Oct 2023 onboard Liberty so am I to assume that Bar Harbor will be a no and when will RCI notify us about this change?

Good question - I would hope you would hear something within a couple months or so. It will take a while to work out alternate ports.

[chengkp75]

21 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

 

The Supreme Court has ruled the 5th and 14th amendment apply.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_movement_under_United_States_law

The flaw in your argument is that you are comparing domestic interstate travel with international travel.  Once you have boarded a foreign flag cruise ship, this is no longer domestic travel.

 

And, if you read down the link you posted, it notes that Crandall v Nevada does not guarantee the right to a particular mode of transportation, when transiting between states.

[fenton04]

I see some residents of Maine chiming in.  I am out of state.  Does the state of Maine provide funding and or infrastructure to Bar Harbor?  

[flamingos]

22 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

The Supreme Court has ruled the 5th and 14th amendment apply.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_movement_under_United_States_law

Edited 22 hours ago by Tree_skier

So if you want to fly to Bar Harbor, can you force airlines or bus companies or trains to take you there, if they don't service that city?  I'm confused as to what you think is unlawful about this.

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, fenton04 said:

I see some residents of Maine chiming in.  I am out of state.  Does the state of Maine provide funding and or infrastructure to Bar Harbor?  

Just like any municipality within a state, the town of Bar Harbor does receive funding from the state, for specific purposes.  The land where the pier is, and the pier itself are owned by the town.  While not knowing Florida's constitution intimately, I have argued that the bill the legislature passed there is likely not constitutional for a variety of reasons.

[flamingos]

6 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Just like any municipality within a state, the town of Bar Harbor does receive funding from the state, for specific purposes.  The land where the pier is, and the pier itself are owned by the town.  While not knowing Florida's constitution intimately, I have argued that the bill the legislature passed there is likely not constitutional for a variety of reasons.

That is not a concern of the current administration.  🙂  What surprised me is how quickly the other port authorities caved when they were cut out of the new law.  😞