POLICIES
#1: DON’T FEED BOB’S DOG
I am a strange guest in Bob’s home, and Bob asks me not to feed his dog. The dog has big sad eyes, it looks hungry, and furthermore, I've been feeding dogs all of my life and I've never harmed one yet...so I give it a small piece of hot dog when no one's looking. No big deal, right? Well, maybe the dog is on a diet or has severe allergies. Maybe the dog bites. Maybe if all 400 guests in Bob's home fed the dog, it would explode. Does it really matter WHY I'm not supposed to feed the dog? Do I really think that Bob would bother to ask me not to feed the dog if it wasn't important and/ or a common problem? I will, of course, insist that nobody told me not to feed the dog if I get caught. Who the hell does Bob think he is, anyway?
Over the years, we've had a few bad reviews about our "RULES RULES RULES". Some reviews are obviously from troublemakers or "sour grapes", but others are from people who are simply incapable of understanding the story of Bob's dog.
We make our policies available because they are important for everyone's benefit. They provide valuable information, some that campers NEED to know and/or are specific to Cymbria. "Common sense", as everyone knows, is not always common.
Our "regulars" love our policies. They'll tell you that our campground is quiet, clean, un-crowded, safe, peaceful, and friendly because of our policies.
This page (and this website) gives our potential new guests the power to decide beforehand if the way we run our ship fits with their lifestyle and ideas about what camping means to them. Campers come in every flavor, we are not all things to all people, and we sincerely hope that the information presented in this website has helped you make a decision one way or the other.
Having great, like-minded campers stay with us means everything to us. As you can see, we go out of our way to discourage those who would be disruptive- even though it means sending away much needed revenue. We take our policies seriously, and strictly enforce them when someone slips through the cracks and feeds Bob's dog.
#2: IF YOU HAD TO READ ANYTHING
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.
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.
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.
#3: CYMBRIA SPECIFIC
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.
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.
#4: COMMON SENSE????????
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.
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.
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.
#5: SOMEONE REALLY SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU
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.
#6: (SADLY NEEDED) CAMPFIRE SECTION
This would have been in the common sense section, but unfortunately the VAST MAJORTY of campers retire for the night without properly extinguishing their campfires. It is almost natural to want to snuggle into the tent and fall asleep to the soft crackle and warm glow of the fire dancing on the tent walls. It is also almost natural to forget that all it takes is one spark in the dry woods to start a fire that could cause serious burns, injury, or death to you, your loved ones, your neighbors, or their children. In the best case scenario where no one gets hurt, a major fire at a campground not only ruins the weekend, but also the vacation plans of every camper who was booked for the rest of the summer. For the owners, it means a lifetime of regretting not being more on top of the rules. It means years of blood and sweat and sacrifice in exchange for financial ruin. It means that it will take 50 years before the campground looks the same again. Please keep all of this in mind, and avoid hostile comments, if we have to wake you so that you can put out your fire.
As per provincial regulations, please help stop the spread of harmful insects and disease by not transporting out-of-province firewood.
- Pressure-treated wood
- Painted wood
- Garbage (other than paper)
- Plastic
- Waste oil
- Construction materials
- Plywood or particle board
- Pallets or anything with nails that could later puncture a child's bare foot or our lawnmower's tires
We often hear "that's unfair...I burn that all the time at home". Well, this isn't your home.