Our final port of the cruise was Bar Harbor, Maine.  This was our first port in the USA so we had to clear Immigration before going ashore.  We were assigned times by deck that were announced over the public address system when it was our turn to proceed to the World Stage.  

The first group was called at 8:20 AM and our floor, Deck 7, was called at 9:27 AM.  The officers were standing behind small podiums and were not wearing masks.  All the passengers were wearing masks except for a few seconds when we lowered them so the officers could match our photo to our passport.  

We learned later that the Immigration officers made “house calls” to those guests who were in COVID quarantine.  

We booked the Holland America Tour “The Mountain and the Mansion”.  Our scheduled meeting time was 1:30 PM ashore.  

Here is the description from the brochure:  

“Experience Bar Harbor’s gilded age with a visit to the turn-of-the-century La Rochelle Mansion on this lovely adventure that includes magnificent views from the 1,532-foot summit of Cadillac Mountain. Set off by motorcoach to the base of the mountain, enjoying commentary about the founding of Acadia National Park, then take in the views as you drive to the top of the highest point on the North American east coast. Panoramic vistas abound, stretching over the island-studded coastline of the Gulf of Maine. Continue on to La Rochelle, the finest Victorian mansion in Bar Harbor. Relive the bygone age in this elegant Georgian Revival mansion built in 1902-1903 for George Sullivan Bowdoin, the partner and treasurer of J.P. Morgan and great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton. A guided tour led by a docent from the Historical Society showcases this 13,000-square-foot lavish chateaux, exquisitely furnished and situated on two acres of land overlooking Frenchman’s Bay. Return to port with a camera filled with memories via a scenic route”

It was very foggy as we tendered ashore, and many whale-watching excursions were canceled due to low visibility.  

Paper tickets are no longer used for excursions, but people without phones were able to use their cruise cards instead.  

Our tour started with our guide, Paul, giving us an overview of Bar Harbor’s history and how it grew from a small village to a popular tourist destination.  

The La Rochelle Mansion was our first stop, and this was The Mansion portion of the tour.  

The mansion was built in 1903 and is the largest estate built along the shore of West Street in Bar Harbor.  The forty-one room, 13,000 square foot lavish chateaux has twelve bedrooms and nine full bathrooms on two acres of land.   More about the mansion HERE

Paul guided us through the mansion for forty-five minutes, explaining the furnishings and decorations in each room.  Along the way he weaved in historical tidbits of Bar Harbor during the time the Mansion was used as a private vacation home.  

The Mountain part of our tour was next.  

Twenty minutes later, after driving on a very winding road, we arrived at the Cadillac Mountain Lookout.  Due to the fog, there wasn’t much to see, so we spent about 15 minutes in the gift shop before getting back on the bus and heading back to town.  

Since we spent less time on Cadillac Mountain, we did a windshield tour of the other Bar Harbor highlights.  

After we were dropped off back in town, we walked up and down the main street before heading back to the ship.  

We spent the evening packing and getting ready to get off the ship tomorrow.