POLICIES

Although we have a very friendly atmosphere, this is the very LAST place campers should want to go if they're going to stand out as the rowdy group. Party-goers should do themselves a favor and find somewhere else for their party, because it is a huge inconvenience for other guests, our staff,  and for the site(s) that we evict (who lose their deposit and no site-fee refunds). Please be aware that any site that is in any way associated with the evicted site will also be removed from the property.

All powered music (ie: stereos) completely OFF. No obnoxiously loud noise levels of any kind that will disturb your neighbors. Staff's interpretation of "too loud or disturbing" is final and not open for discussion (either way).

We are all mature adults here. We believe that good campers can quietly enjoy the campfire and the stars without disturbing others. But there has to be some time limit, as others need their sleep, maybe have small children and perhaps have to travel early in the morning. Even the sound of a fire crackling can be too loud for some people. Because of this, ALL campfires must be fully extinguished and EVERY site ABSOLUTELY SHUT DOWN by 1 am.  THIS MEANS THE COMMUNAL GROUP WANTS TO GET SOME SLEEP, SO NO SITTING AROUND IN THE DARK, NO ROAMING, NO NOISE IN OR OUTSIDE OF YOUR TENT OR TRAILER. We will defend our campers' right to quiet enjoyment until 1am, but the first complaint after 1:00 am sends the offending site packing for good + loss of deposit + site fees. It is not up to staff to remind campers of the time, and WE ARE NOT BABYSITTERS. If this rule sounds acceptable now, but totally unfair after a case of beer, then we would strongly suggest another campground.

At check-in, each site will be required to leave a standard $20 deposit (min) in cash, debit, or (preferably) credit card pre-authorization. No deposit will be kept so long as, upon inspection (and only after the site is fully vacated),  the site has been left litter-free & in the same condition as it was found, and also the issued security gate card has been returned. We may also keep the deposit (and no refund of site fees) in cases where eviction was necessary or we had re-occurring problems enforcing rules. Because each site gets inspected after every stay, please inform staff ASAP after check-in if there are any problems with your site. IMPORTANT: Non-family groups or local's one-night stays (without a proven history) will have this deposit increased to up to $100 per site, at the discretion of management. If cash or debit is used for the deposit, please understand that a physical site inspection must be done before the deposit is returned (and we do not do site inspections before the office opens in the am). The only alternative to this scenario is to use a credit card or have the deposit returned by mail.

We will issue each site a pass-card for our security gate, which allows ONE passenger vehicle only (plus trailer/ motorhome) per site to enter the campsites area. Unlimited free parking for extra vehicles or guests available in the designated parking area.  CAUTION: Sites that are found to have 2 vehicles at the site will lose ALL vehicle privileges, or asked to leave, at management's discretion. "We're only bringing the 2nd one up for a minute" is NOT acceptable. Under NO circumstances should any camper use their card to let anyone else into the property.  TIP: If you need to unload a second vehicle or have a guest who wants to bring in their vehicle, simply bring the original vehicle down to the parking area FIRST, THEN you can bring another vehicle up (since there is never 2 vehicles past the gate at any given time). If anyone's going to try feeding Bob's dog, it's usually with this bone. EXEPTION: Registered motorcycles are permitted at your site in addition to the one vehicle.

After years of impatient arm-crossers, eye-rollers, know-it-alls, stop-wasting-my-timers, how-dare-you-ers, and just general staring into spacers, we have decided to shorten our phone and check-in policy speeches, and put the responsibility of knowing our policies directly on the campers. Say goodnight to the bad guys!

While we would never use our power for evil, it is important to understand that when push comes to shove...we will always have the last say. This is a PRIVATE campground...NOT a public one. Through both our reputation and also from our admittedly overdone website information, it is becoming increasingly rare that we have to deal with customers that try bullying our staff to get what they want- but it does still occasionally happen.  It was never cool in school, and every staff member has the full support of the owners to decide who is out of line. When 99 sites are voluntarily following the rules but one site is not, it is fairly straightforward figuring out who has the problem. We have spent the last 19 years honing our policies, and the people who keep coming back are the ones who are here because of the results of these policies. When someone gets way out of hand, we owe it to our favorite campers to walk the talk.  Unfortunately, experience has proven that we almost always regret giving an out-of-hand group a second chance, so we have adopted a one-strike-you're-out policy. The same goes for any display of disrespect while mentioning a less serious issue. I know that it must sound like we're running some sort of prison camp here, but I assure you that we are as laid-back as they come. The easiest way to avoid problems is to not invite them here to begin with.

You've read our policies, had a laugh, had a cry, took the chance, and are here to share the good vibe. We depend on people like you to make Cymbria your own. If you run into something that needs to be addressed, please let us know- day or night, 24/7 (but please don't wake me at 4:30 am because there is a squirrel outside of your tent). We can't be everywhere at all times...and that's where you can truly make a difference. It truly breaks our heart if an awesome camper checks out with glowing compliments, and casually mentions that the absolute quiet night was interrupted suddenly at 4:00 am by a couple yelling at each other in the neighboring site. No one should have to put up with that...and a simple phone call would have brought the problem to our attention and we could have dealt with it quickly. If you enjoy your stay, please help us out and write an honest review. Thanks!

No refunds for bad weather. No refunds for real or made-up tragedies. No refunds for evictions. No refunds. Sorry. At the discretion of management, we may be able to offer a partial credit so long as we did not lose revenue as a result of the cancellation or early departure. For example, we would NOT issue a credit if we turned away campers because we were full, then we get a cancellation and are unable to re-book the site. TIP: We will NEVER offer a credit to anyone who tries to bully our staff into giving them a refund.

On arrival, weather you have a reservation or not, it will take some time to get you registered at the office (especially if someone is before you). Please follow the signs and park in the designated RV Registration Lane, or in the very firm grassy designated parking area. Thank you for respecting others by not blocking the entrance gate.

Check out is 12:00 noon. Late fees will apply. Please make prior arrangements with office if your deposit is cash or debit, and you will be leaving before the office opens in the morning.  Gate cards can be returned at the office during business hours, or at any time using the mail slot in the office door.

Check-ins are 2:00 pm- office closing. Earlier check-ins (no earlier than 9 am) can SOMETIMES be arranged- provided your designated site is available- by making arrangements beforehand with the Cymbria office 902-963-2458. Please inform us if you will be arriving late (after office hours). While we will make every effort to accommodate late check-ins that have informed us of their situation with ample notice, we cannot always help those who arrive at extremely late hours, or who have not contacted us beforehand. Please note that late reservations must still pay for the day that they missed.

All visitors must check in AND out at the office. Visitors must pay a fee ($5/person) which is fully refundable if visit is less than 2 hours in duration (and swimming pool was not used). Eviction is possible for any site who is found to have unregistered visitors. Visitors must park in designated area (in front of the office), so please arrange for transportation if your guests are not able to walk to your site.  All aspects relating to visitors are your responsibility, including their safety, knowledge of our policies, and conduct. No new visitors after 10pm. All visitors must be checked out by 11pm. Visitors must pay a fee to use the pool. We discourage our short-term guests from having "gatherings", large groups, or frequent groups of visitors out of respect for their neighboring campsites. There are public campgrounds that may prove to be more appropriate for such situations.

Cymbria Campground, and in fact all of PEI, by law has a mandatory waste-sorting program. All campers are responsible for sorting their own trash into our recycling, compost, and waste bins. Please use ONLY clear bags (available for free in the office) and NEVER use black or non-see-through bags.

Drivers must "ride the brakes" sometimes to maintain a speed this slow. We really don't understand the psychology of people who insist on speeding despite having only 500 feet of nowhere to be and no time to get there, but it happens.  We are fiercely protective of the safety of our guests...especially small children, so please be assured that if someone is obviously speeding- they are definitely going to get yelled at. If we get really nervous about someone's driving because of a close call, alcohol impairment, or ridiculous speed, they will lose their privilege to have a vehicle in the park at all- no first warning needed. Many people we catch are insulted, venomously deny that they were speeding, and quite often have their own small children safely in the vehicle with them. We really don't care how badly we hurt their feelings, as just maybe we are saving a life somewhere down the line. We officially deputize any camper who wants to yell "SLOW DOWN" and help keep the park safe.

All reservations are confirmed after a NON-REFUNDABLE deposit has been processed. We require 7 DAYS NOTICE before your arrival date if you wish to cancel your reservation if you wish to avoid further charges. Our full cancellation policy can be found at https://cymbria.ca/rates-reservations/ . It probably sounds like we're being jerks, but please put into perspective that we have 3 months to pay a whole year's worth of bills. It is not uncommon for us to turn away a week-long stay for 3 sites that wanted to be next to each other just because we were holding a reservation for a single 2-night reservation. We hold our side of the bargain...thank you for holding yours.

Site # 1 is the owner’s site. For the most part, we are too tired from working 18 hours a day to cause trouble. On occasion, however, we host seasonals and regulars get-togethers at our site. We sometimes have acoustic jams around the campfire with friends and guests. While we try our best to be respectful of other guests, we are sometimes guilty of bending the rules slightly. If we could do it elsewhere, we would, however we have no choice in the matter since we live here 24/7, we work here 24/7, and we must always be available at site # 1 to assist campers in an emergency and keep an eye on things. While we try our best to keep new campers distanced from site #1, if you feel it is important enough, PLEASE SPECIFY THAT YOU WOULD RATHER BE SEPARATED FROM SITE #1. We promise we will not be offended.

We get tons of compliments each year about our spotless campground. Please help staff identify litterbugs, as they are not welcome. We charge a "maid fee" (via the deposit) for campers checking out of their site without cleaning up their own litter. Please do not leave paper, butts, or garbage in your fire pit- the wind will almost always blow it out and create a mess.

Thank you for cleaning up after yourself in all public areas. While we make regularly scheduled daily washroom cleanings (and take pride in our clean facilities), we can sometimes get guests who believe that it is their God-given right to have someone else clean up after them...and somehow it makes US look bad. Staff will turn a blind eye to anyone who catches someone red-handed and decides to dunk their head in the toilet. We can not afford to pay one of those guys who sits in the washroom 24/7 handing out hot towels and sanitizing after each guest. Please bring any issues to the attention of staff. Camping is an ideal time to spend quality time with the family...a great opportunity to teach kids how to start a campfire, how to make a 'Smore, and how important it is to respect public areas.

Please be respectful of staff, who do not have all day to get their cleaning duties accomplished. Please avoid any washroom during its posted cleaning times, and never jump in front of cleaning staff in times that they are patiently waiting to get in to clean.
The grass must be mowed often if we are to keep the park looking its best. Sometimes we have to mow "today" if we know that rainy weather is coming, or to accommodate schedules. Please do not complain that we are mowing. Please help staff by rounding up all loose objects at your site and moving your vehicle when you see the mower coming so that they can get out of your hair that much quicker.

Please NEVER feed wildlife (or other people's pets without the owner's permission). Keep your site clean, and never leave food in your fire pit. Keep all food secured at all times. Throwing food into the woods will also bring skunks and other wildlife to your site, and MUCH worse, it will train the wildlife to re-visit the next camper (who did nothing to encourage the visit). Do not feed alcohol to staff or the owners, unless you are prepared to have them hanging around your site like dangerous predators.

Pets are always welcome at Cymbria Campground (it's their owners that we are worried about). Please keep pets on leash at all times. Always have a poop bag on you and pick up after your pet-even if nobody's watching. While it is natural for a dog to bark as someone approaches its territory, a dog (or person for that matter) that barks non-stop and/or is getting frequent complaints is not welcome. Never leave pets unattended. Please take EXTREME precautions if your pets are not good with children (or even if they are normally good), as kids will often approach other people's pets at campgrounds (quickly and with no warning) in order to pet them. Pets should not be in the pool area. Do not put your pet in our showers or bathtub. Do not allow your pets to dig. Do not feed other people's pets unless by permission of the owner. Do not leave your site unattended with pet food left on the site. Our shallow beach is perfect for taking the pooch to get cooled off and blow off steam. While a leash is optional at the beach, please be responsible and keep your pet on leash if you do not have full control of your animal and/ or there are others around that may be uncomfortable around off-leash pets.

Cymbria is a fantastic, safe place for children awaiting a true camping adventure. We were listed as PEI's only campground in "All The Best Family Campgrounds in Canada" by Today's Parent Magazine in 2014-2018. With that said, parents should be aware of some things (we're not judging, but we are often concerned by some re-occurring themes). Although we realize that kids will be kids:
1)Children should be supervised by a responsible adult at all times. Use of the facilities, playground, un-supervised pool, and any and everything else that they could possibly get into are at your own risk and your responsibility. We put this legal-type disclaimer here at the top of the list, because many parents nowadays want to sue somebody because their kid fell on a blade of grass. The second reason is that there ARE good reasons for keeping an eye on your kids. The third reason involves myself as a child...I should have been duct taped to my campsite at all times to keep me out of trouble (but wasn't) and maybe this applies to your kids too.
2) If you haven't already taught (and field-tested) your children to go to the washrooms on their own AND cleaning up after themselves, then you must accompany them to the public washrooms. If we catch an un-attended child leaving a mess, we will place the blame on the true problem- the parents. These parents can either take the next cleaning shift, or find another campground that doesn't mind being humble cleaning servants to the superior race.
3) Please teach your kids not to run through other people's sites, and to NEVER feed or try to pet someone else's pet unless both the parent AND the pet owner is present.
4) While we understand the excitement of it all for kids, please do not let them loose on their own at 6am so that they can make the loudest screeching shrills they can muster so that it echoes throughout the park and directly focuses on the Jones' trailer (the couple who specifically asked not to be placed anywhere near children). The parent’s constant, repetitive shouting at the kids to stop the noise (without any result) is the one that will get under my skin as well as Mr. Jones'.
5) While we are usually familiar with the kids on a first-name basis (usually before we are with their parents), our campground does not offer elaborate kids’ programs on a regular basis led by staff and camp councillors and “fun experts”. The parents are the best experts to spend time with their children in our opinion. We have a long list of recommendations for campgrounds in the area that are awesome places to set your kids free with 500 other kids for the day if you like. We don’t have video games. We don’t have TV. We do have everything that you need to spend a quality camping experience with your family, and with any luck, your kids will find a lifelong best friend with a like-minded families’ kids.
6) Many of our policies are directly or indirectly meant to enhance the camping experience for children. Our reduction of vehicles and speed limits in the park makes it safer for them to bicycle and play on the roads. We do not allow unregistered guests to just roam freely through the park. We fiercely protect children from any dangers that we can. And we hope to always have the type of campers here that would do the same.

It should go without saying, but please have respect for your fellow campers, our staff, the campground facilities, nature, our neighbors, and our Island. If you witness disrespect, please let staff know right away so that we can deal with it.

We depend on feedback from our guests. We can't always be everywhere at once, and truly value an extra pair of eyes, ears, and sometimes nose. People have vastly different methods of bringing things to our attention, however. The ones we truly appreciate are those who approach us with an issue in a calm, respectful, and helpful manner. They do not immediately insist to see the owner when the staff are perfectly capable and trained to handle issues. They do not raise their voices and try to intimidate to prove they are upset. They are aware that we do not have 24-hour washroom attendants, so they give us helpful knowledge about a mess rather than accuse staff of not doing their jobs. They realize that our staff did not personally create the mess, invite the noisy obnoxious people, trip their breaker, plug their sewer line, or cause it to rain. THEY KNOW OUR RULES, which helps them avoid complaining for the sake of complaining, or on the other side of the coin, sitting in quiet horror because they were afraid to cause waves by contacting staff about a valid issue. I'm not even going to get into some of the ridiculous TripAdvisor etc... online comments, but if you had a good experience or impartial objective info that would help others then please post it. Posting that we are grumpy is not very helpful to other readers when they leave out the fact that we had to kick them out. And finally: YES, we are fully aware that the campground needs more supermodels, 1/2 price sites, free beer, more trees, less trees, better weather, more staff, and billions of dollars in upgrades. Only with your continued full-price patronage can we dream of achieving our goals.

RESPONSIBLE consumption of alcohol is permitted at campsites only. The discovery that drugs and alcohol turns you into a raving lunatic is a lesson best learned at home or in a remote setting, and NOT at a campground with (other people's) small children and adults that are simply not here to listen to loud crap talk and full-blast music. The opinion of what is "responsible" is determined by staff (usually sober), who are the ones that have to deal with complaints (as well as uphold the image of the business). This opinion is not negotiable. We have many awesome guests and regulars that do and do not drink. When Canada decriminalizes the recreational use of pot, it is STILL not going to be acceptable to blow your smoke at the family camping next to you. The common bond is, once again, respect.

Any family that has camped relying only on their holding tank for fresh water knows exactly how quickly a large volume of water gets used up. I am still blown away at how quickly my wife and I can burn through 75 gallons (despite our best efforts) with the cooking, coffee, toilet and showers in our RV. I'm still not sure if I feel better or worse after finding out that the average North American uses 80-100 gallons of water per person per day! If we had to carry that much water up the hill every day, we'd understand just how insane that amount really is. With that said, our campground (with its own well) can have up to 400 people per day in our busy season. I'm too frightened to do the math, to be honest. Please do not wash your vehicles. Please do not let your water hose drip (if you don't want to buy a new 25 cent gasket, ask me and I'll give you one). Our showers are not coin operated...please be respectful of our water.

Your serviced campsite comes with electricity included. We appreciate your concern for the environment by NOT running your air-conditioner(s) while you are away for extended periods with an empty RV. The owners and all responsible guests will notice, and be thankful that you are helping the campground keep their rates as low as possible for everyone.

Please do not downgrade your site requirements with the intent of saving a dollar by running your generator as needed (if that's even possible), as generators are noisy and will disrupt others' enjoyment. Generators are permitted for special events IN THE UN-SERVICED OVERFLOW SECTION ONLY, but must remain OFF between 11:00pm and 8:00 am.

Please let staff know if there is a problem with your picnic table ASAP. All tables are numbered to match that specific site, so please do not switch tables with another site. If, for whatever reason, one table is not enough, please do not borrow a table from another site (we can SOMETIMES provide an extra table for you IF YOU ASK). Someone made fun of us in an online review about our picnic table rule, but it's really not that funny when a tired family arrives at their site and have no picnic table, only to have to go back to the office so that staff can drop what they're doing and go to the site only to discover that their neighbors have been watching this whole ordeal calmly seated around their two picnic tables complete with table cloths and mounded with stuff...all under a screen tent. Another good one is borrowing a neighbor's table and then returning it filthy or broken before anyone notices. Not a very good scene if the next people on that site lose their deposit because of that table. This is what we deal with some days.

ALL issues during business hours should be directed to the office unless posted otherwise. The owners live at site#1, and we (or designates) are here for emergencies 24/7 all season (no need to leave your tent...call us). Some reasons that we hope and expect to be notified ANYTIME after business hours include such things as obnoxiously loud or disruptive groups, steady noise disruptions after the 1:00 am shutdown (does NOT include someone's baby crying), fire, medical emergency, crime, campground system-wide power or water failure, septic failure, water leak, propane leak, gasoline fumes, or any other safety hazard that has been identified etc...
Although we don't mind helping out if we are still out and about, we SHOULD NOT be woken up for these (and other similar) common non-emergencies (WARNING: you've been warned): Deciding that you want to leave before the office opens and get your cash or debit deposit back NOTE: if you really want to poke the bear, follow up by hanging out in our site until the office opens. If your deposit was credit card pre-auth, you can leave anytime...just leave your gate card in the card return box and we'll check your site first thing, and if no litter or damage is found, we will obviously not charge your card. Another common non-emergency would be that an animal is outside of your tent eating all of the food that you spilled or left unsecured. Blowing a breaker because of your poor planning will have to wait until morning (unless you are on a life-support machine). Your gate card is not working...sorry but you'll have to walk. Your child got sick, cut, got injured (non-life threatening) and needs to go to the hospital so you're checking out and want a refund and your deposit back before anyone's going anywhere...note to parents everywhere on planet earth: if your child needs to go to the hospital, then take them right now (and maybe see someone yourself while you're there). It's raining and your tent is soaked- our rec hall can be used for shelter if necessary.

Yes? Put it back in its box and send it back to China where it belongs! These portable BBQ's are the single-most damaging item to our campground equipment. At the very best, they leave un-cleanable grease stains on our picnic tables, and at their worst they DEEPLY char the top boards on the tables. We have unfortunately had to charge a couple of campers for the full replacement cost of the picnic table because of the severe damage caused by the BBQ. Out of our 100 picnic tables, only one table still looks like new (our own...we have never used a portable BBQ on our table). It's never graffiti...always BBQ. I don't even want them on the ground , as it will even kill the grass. If you still insist on using these pieces of crap, PLEASE have the decency to buy a metal tray to put under it.

The RV & Campground waste systems remain among the last frontier of knowledge for the new (and often experienced camper out there). The # 1 leading cause of disgusting, embarrassing, and preventable camp system sewage "spew" is awarded to the slinky. Not a real slinky...your flexible sewer hose. When that hose is put into the camp's sewer pipe, maybe a foot or two down, everything is grand. Some people even get creative and put a rock over the whole thing. The problem doesn't show itself until someone pulls the dump valve or starts running water, when the "slinky" stretches up to 5 times its original length and gets pulled at the bottom by running water from everyone "upstream" of the sewer system. This causes a blockage of the main sewer pipe, and everything getting dumped from every site and washroom before you is going to end up as a nasty gushing crap lake in your campsite. Your neighbors will be especially thrilled. Luckily for those who are not up to snuff on fancy knots, a sewer hose adapter, or less-ideal seal, was invented just to avoid this from happening. The adapter mates your hose to the camp's system, creating a snug fit to reduce smell and leakage (no more carrying around a rock!) AND makes it impossible for your hose to slinky down to create a blockage. We get at least 4 slinky incidents per season which the customer either has to clean up or we do (for a fee). If this paragraph has helped even one person out there somewhere, it's all been worth it.
Coming in a close #2: What the heck are you flushing? This is not some fancy city system that the pipes are big enough for giant alligators to roam through, and at the end is some fancy machine that just makes everything "go away". Please do not flush plastic, diapers, feminine hygiene products, harsh chemicals, small animals, paper towels, or 30-ply toilet paper into ANY campground system, which is more likely than not very old and fragile (like its owners).
3rd and last tip: keep your black tank closed until you are either full or done of your stay, then let er rip all at once. Rinse your hose clean with your grey water. Use a natural bacteria liquid in the tank to digest solids and reduce stank.

Please help keep our grass green by not using trailer mats. It is becoming a larger trend every year to throw increasingly large mats outside of trailers, leaving behind a patchwork of "bomb craters" all over our beautiful lawns. Not only does this eyesore reflect poorly on all of our hard work, but this also significantly increases maintenance costs. If this trend continues we will be forced to pass on these costs to all campers via higher site rates. Please put into perspective that it takes 2 minutes to sweep your trailer entrance, yet it takes 2 seasons or more to regrow the grass once it is killed. Thank you for understanding.

If there was one sure-fire way to have the owners and staff scurry to avoid guests, it would have to be by asking them to bend or break the rules for them. It puts us in an uncomfortable position to have to say "NO", and it SHOULD be embarrassing to those who have witnessed our over-dramatic policy pages and signs. Unless it is an issue with health or safety which we have not foreseen, PLEASE do not ask for special favors that will bend our rules. There are two significant repercussions any time a rule is bent for someone: 1) Our summer staff are unfairly introduced to policy "gray areas" (leading to lack of confidence, confusion, mistakes, and the need for more training) and 2)  if one person can break the rules, then EVERYONE should be able to, which can (and has) lead very quickly to the loss of control over our own park. Anyone who makes a big issue about ANY campground's rules has never owned a campground. That is a fact.