BAR HARBOR – Town and business leaders expect an overflow crowd when the world’s largest and most luxurious ocean liner anchors in Frenchman Bay on Monday, Sept. 27.

“We expect a huge turnout” when the Queen Mary 2 stops in Bar Harbor on its voyage from Atlantic Canada to New York City, Town Manager Dana Reed said Tuesday.

Town officials are now developing a plan to handle the crowds and comply with local and state security and safety rules.

Some downtown streets and the town pier likely will be closed to vehicle traffic to create a pedestrian zone, Reed said.

The only exceptions will be fishing vessels and a second cruise ship scheduled to stop in Bar Harbor the same day, Reed said.

Police Chief Nate Young said he expects the state will want a buffer zone around the pedestrian area, keeping cars as far away from the downtown as possible.

Gov. John Baldacci and other dignitaries are scheduled to greet the ship, which will arrive at about 8 a.m. and depart at 6 p.m., stopping in Portland on its way to New York City.

The 800-passenger Crystal cruise ship, also scheduled to arrive Sept. 27, will look like a yacht compared to the QM2, which measures 1,132 feet long and 236 feet high.

The QM2, still in its inaugural year, weighs 151,400 tons and cost $800 million to build, according to its owner, Cunard Lines.

The vessel, sister ship to the famed Queen Elizabeth 2, can carry 2,620 passengers and a crew of more than 1,200.

The QM2 offers passengers unparalleled luxury and services, according to the company, including lavish two-story suites, a full-size athletic field, a grand ballroom, 10 dining rooms, a planetarium, indoor and outdoor pools, and a kennel for family pets.

The Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce hopes to organize a festive day of celebration to mark the QM2 visit. Chamber Executive Director Costas Christ told town councilors this week that chamber members would like to use the QM2 visit to showcase the best of Bar Harbor, especially its seafaring history and culture.

Christ said the Chamber wants to focus on luring Maine people to town for the historic event.

“We would like to reach out to Maine residents who might not come to Bar Harbor, or shy away from it” during the busy tourism season, he said.

The Chamber will return to the council as soon as possible with its plans for the day, while the municipal staff develops a strategy for accommodating the expected throng of visitors.

Council Chairman Joseph Cough recommended the Chamber or town hold a public meeting to get input from all residents in addition to Chamber members.