A federal judge has given Bar Harbor permission to limit cruise ships during the peak summer months.

But Lance Walker has reversed his earlier ruling allowing a more restrictive cap on the waterside tourists.

“We won our appeal,” Kristi Bond, spokeswoman for the cruises, said. “We look forward to welcoming all cruise visitors to Bar Harbor once again.”

The picturesque summer playground along the northeast Maine coast has been arguing over cruise ships for five years.

While businesses embrace the added tourist dollars passengers bring, a group of locals say the cruisers have stolen local life as they once knew it.

A citizens initiative that resulted four years ago in strict passenger limits has been in and out of court since.

A federal circuit court ordered Walker to reconsider an earlier ruling he made embracing year-round passenger limits.

He said Friday he’s decided the 12-month restrictions are overly broad so he’s now only allowing them in July and August.

Charles Sidman, who organized the petition, told Bar Harbor Story he’ll appeal the judge’s latest opinion.

“We want our downtown back,” Sidman was quoted in the local Bar Harbor paper.