Tahiti CME Cruise

This is the ultimate bucket list cruise. Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea, the Tuamotu atolls—eleven all-inclusive nights aboard the intimate m/s Paul Gauguin. Plus practical CME you'll use the week you're home.

April 15–26, 2028

Social CBT & GriefWork

Super earlybird tuition $1,495 (tax‑free)

Overview

CBT Canada is pleased to present a Tahiti CME Cruise from April 15–26, 2028 aboard m/s Paul Gauguin—a 332-guest luxury ship purpose-built to glide through the shallow lagoons and intimate ports of French Polynesia. She has three dining venues, an onboard watersports marina, and nearly 70% of staterooms with private balconies. The ship has been a perennial Best Small Cruise winner with Condé Nast Traveler and was named #1 Small-Ship Ocean Cruise Line by Travel + Leisure—and then completed a multi-million-dollar refurbishment in 2025. This is the ship that belongs here—and the only one designed to take you where larger ships cannot go.

Our eleven-night voyage begins in Tahiti and crosses to the Tuamotu Archipelago—Fakarava, a UNESCO Marine Biosphere Reserve, and Rangiroa, one of the world’s largest atolls and home to French Polynesia’s celebrated black pearl farms. The Society Islands follow: the archaeological treasures of Huahine, the sacred island of Raiatea with its UNESCO-listed marae, a day on Paul Gauguin’s private islet Motu Mahana off the coast of Taha’a, an overnight beneath the peaks of Bora Bora, an overnight in Moorea, and a final evening in Tahiti. This is a bucket list cruise.

Staterooms are fully all-inclusive—drinks, unlimited WiFi, and gratuities are included. Your companion cruises free. The entry-level rate works out to $565 USD per person per day, all-inclusive.

• Balcony Stateroom (Deck 7) — $18,444
• Balcony Stateroom (Deck 6) — $18,192
• Window Stateroom (Deck 4) — $14,286
• Porthole Stateroom (Deck 3) — $12,414

All bookings must be made with Arlene at vacation@cbt.ca or phone (877.466.8228 x 333). Book early for the best cabin selection.

See below for CME, itinerary, and ship details...

The CME

The CME pairs two complementary modules—one that looks outward at the relationships that sustain us, and one that looks inward at the losses that shape us.

Social CBT 
Tactical Tools to Boost Belonging

Loneliness is sometimes called “the new smoking.” When chronic, it erodes both emotional and physical health. You see it every day: the quiet desperation in your patients’ eyes. Many use your office as their primary social connection. The burden is often heavy and heartbreaking.

Social CBT offers a powerful antidote—dozens of proven strategies to guide your patients toward deeper connections and a more fulfilling life. Major topics include the ten-minute couples counseling package, helping patients overcome social anxiety, and complex adult sibling dynamics. Special topics include the scientific determinants of friendship, the trap of co-rumination, research on emotional contagion, the emotion of hurt, relations with individuals with antisocial personality disorder, the horror of ostracism, and retirement anxiety. Upon completing this module, you will also have practical tools to improve your own relationships with friends, colleagues, and loved ones.

▶ Social CBT endorsements

GriefWork 
Growing from Life’s Inevitable Losses

Losses happen. Historically, it was the wisdom traditions—religion and philosophy—that provided comfort. Today psychology helps too: the utterly universal experience of loss has spawned much excellent scientific research. This module teaches the CBT tools that are highest in impact and practicality, assuming your appointments are brief and averaging ten minutes.

Topics include the DSM-5-TR’s new Prolonged Grief Disorder, distinguishing bereavement from depression, the evidence-based model that replaced Kübler-Ross, concrete tools that boost compliance in the bereaved, how to facilitate forgiveness as a clinical intervention, escaping the “sunk cost trance” that keeps patients trapped in relationships and careers past their best-before dates, moral injuries, easing the fear of death, and guiding patients toward post-traumatic growth—not wishful thinking, but a deeply meaningful and well-documented possibility.

▶ GriefWork endorsements

One module arms you for the loneliest patients in your practice, and the other arms you for those carrying the heaviest grief.

Port details 

Day 1. Sat, Apr 15 — Tahiti  Society Islands
Board in Papeete and sail into the South Pacific at sunset.
Tahiti is the gateway to French Polynesia and by far the largest island in French Polynesia. Papeete’s waterfront marché is one of the great markets of the Pacific—Tahitian black pearls, vanilla, monoï oil, and tropical fruit stacked in fragrant pyramids. The ship departs at 6:30 PM, giving you the afternoon to explore the capital before sailing into open ocean under the Southern Cross.

Day 3. Mon, Apr 17 — Fakarava  Tuamotu Islands
Fakarava is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and one of the largest atolls in French Polynesia—a low-lying ribbon of coral enclosing a vast turquoise lagoon. The marine life here is extraordinary, with over a thousand species of fish, along with manta rays, sea turtles, and the grey reef sharks for which the atoll is famous worldwide. Snorkelers will find exceptional visibility in the shallows, and optional SCUBA excursions are available through the ship’s dive program. On shore, the old village of Tetamanu holds a 19th-century Catholic church built entirely from coral.

Day 4. Tue, Apr 18 — Rangiroa  Tuamotu Islands
Rangiroa is one of the world’s largest atolls—so vast that the opposite shore is invisible from any point on its rim. The lagoon is legendary among divers, but the real surprise for most visitors is the Blue Lagoon, a smaller lagoon-within-a-lagoon of surreal clarity ringed by pink-sand islets. Rangiroa is also one of the premier destinations for Tahitian cultured pearl farms, where the famous black pearls are cultivated in the warm, nutrient-rich waters.

Day 5. Wed, Apr 19 — Huahine  Society Islands
Often called the “Garden of Eden,” Huahine is the quietest and most authentically Polynesian of the Society Islands. Lush hills, vanilla plantations, and ancient stone fish traps dating back seven centuries line the shoreline. The island’s extensive archaeological sites—including some of the oldest marae in French Polynesia—offer a window into pre-contact Polynesian civilization that the busier islands no longer provide.

Days 6–7. Thu–Fri, Apr 20–21 — Bora Bora  Society Islands
The ship anchors overnight—sunset and sunrise over Mount Otemanu.
James Michener called Bora Bora the most beautiful island in the world. Mount Otemanu rises 727 metres above a lagoon so luminous it has become the most photographed body of water on Earth. Optional excursions include lagoon tours by outrigger canoe, shark and ray feeding, snorkeling in the coral gardens, and a visit to the exclusive private beach on a motu off the coast. The overnight anchorage means you can also enjoy Bora Bora after dark—an experience most cruise passengers never get.

Day 8. Sat, Apr 22 — Raiatea  Society Islands
Raiatea is considered the cradle of Polynesian civilization—the place from which the great double-hulled voyaging canoes departed to settle Hawaii, New Zealand, and the Cook Islands. At its heart is Taputapuātea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most important marae in all of Polynesia, estimated to be over a thousand years old. The island also offers jungle hikes to hidden waterfalls, world-class SCUBA diving (including the Nordby shipwreck at 95 feet), and a narrow channel separating it from its sister island Taha’a.

Day 9. Sun, Apr 23 — Taha’a  Society Islands
Known as the “Vanilla Island” for the high-quality vanilla grown in its fertile interior, Taha’a is intimate and unhurried. This is the day Paul Gauguin anchors at her private islet, Motu Mahana—a white-sand beach with a floating bar, a barbecue feast, complimentary watersports, and Polynesian hospitality in the middle of the lagoon. It is one of the signature experiences of any Paul Gauguin sailing.

Days 10–11. Mon–Tue, Apr 24–25 — Moorea  Society Islands
The ship anchors overnight—your unhurried last day in the islands.
Arthur Frommer called Moorea the most beautiful island in the world—and the view from the ship settles the debate the moment you round the headland into Cook’s Bay or Opunohu Bay, each framed by cathedral spires of green basalt. The overnight stay gives you time to hike the Belvédère trail for panoramic views, visit a pineapple plantation, swim with rays, or simply watch the sun set over Tahiti from the ship’s deck.

Day 12. Wed, Apr 26 — Tahiti  Society Islands
Your final morning in French Polynesia—disembarkation at 8:00 AM.
Many guests add a few nights before or after the cruise—Moorea is a favourite for pre-cruise decompression, and Tahiti’s quieter southern coast is ideal for a leisurely finish. Arlene can build your complete itinerary around the sailing: vacation@cbt.ca or 877.466.8228 x 333.

The ship

Introducing m/s Paul Gauguin, a 332-guest luxury ship designed exclusively for the shallow lagoons and intimate ports of French Polynesia—places larger ships simply cannot reach. A perennial Best Small Cruise winner with Condé Nast Traveler, she carries a crew-to-guest ratio of 1:1.5 and nearly 70% of staterooms feature private balconies. This is not a floating resort: this is the South Pacific, delivered the way it was meant to be experienced.

Three dining venues are included in your fare. L’Etoile, the main dining room, offers exquisitely prepared multi-course dinners with complimentary wine pairings each evening. La Veranda serves buffet breakfast and lunch with ocean views, then transforms into a reservation-only restaurant at night. Le Grill, poolside on Deck 8, handles casual breakfasts and lunches, afternoon tea, and Polynesian specialties at dinner. Twenty-four-hour room service is complimentary—including selections from L’Etoile during regular dining hours.

Every voyage is accompanied by Les Gauguins and Les Gauguines—a troupe of Tahitian hosts who live aboard the ship and bring Polynesian culture to life through dance, music, storytelling, and hands-on craft demonstrations. Le Grand Salon hosts evening performances ranging from traditional ote’a dance to live piano music and crew shows. The Piano Bar is where most evenings begin and end. La Palette, the open-air lounge on Deck 8, is the place for nightcaps and dancing under the stars.

The onboard watersports marina is a genuine differentiator—a retractable platform at sea level offering complimentary kayaking, paddleboarding, and snorkeling gear for the duration of your cruise. Optional PADI-certified SCUBA diving excursions are available at multiple ports. On select days, the ship anchors at Paul Gauguin’s private islet Motu Mahana off the coast of Taha’a, with white-sand beaches, a floating bar, a barbecue feast, and Polynesian hospitality. In Bora Bora, the ship provides access to an exclusive private beach on a motu off the coast.

The Algotherm Spa offers massage, reflexology, body wraps, facials, and an overwater massage on Motu Mahana. The fitness centre includes treadmills, stair climbers, and weight machines, plus a morning mile-long walk around Decks 8 and 9 and a sunrise Polynesian-inspired Zumba class led by Les Gauguines.

Everything is included: all meals, select wines and spirits, beer, soft drinks, bottled water, WiFi, entertainment, watersports equipment, snorkel gear, and onboard gratuities. Your stateroom refrigerator is replenished daily. There is no nickel-and-diming on this ship.

m/s Paul Gauguin was built in Saint-Nazaire, France and sails French Polynesia year-round. No other ship knows these waters better. 

Meet your instructor 

Greg Dubord, MD is the CME Director of CBT Canada, and the prime developer of medical CBT. He has presented over 500 workshops, including over 50 for the CFPC, and is a University of Toronto CME Teacher of the Year.  Dr. Dubord completed his CBT training under the founder, Dr. Aaron T. Beck. He has taught in all Canadian provinces and territories, and in over a dozen countries. 

A personal message from Greg 

About CBT Canada

CBT Canada won the National CME Program Award from the CFPC for providing "exceptional learning experiences", and was the first organization authorized by the CFPC to provide three-credits-per-hour CME. One accreditation reviewer wrote, "Two words: superlative & exemplary".

CBT Canada has given over 100 workshops in collaboration with medical schools, including Dal, McGill, McMaster, Memorial, Queen's, UofA, UBC, UofC, Université de Montréal, UofS, the University of Toronto, and Western.

Over 10,000 physicians have been trained by CBT Canada over the past 30 years. Alumni include national and provincial CFPC presidents, department chairs, residency program directors—and even a few doctors who are comfortable juggling drills & saws. Read their endorsements.

The Procrastinator's Penalty