Western Mediterranean cruise

Earn 36.0 Mainpro+ credits from the winners of the National CME Program Award of the College of Family Physicians of Canada—and explore the magical Mediterranean aboard the Best Premium Cruise Ship in the World*. 

October 12-24, 2019

Earn 36.0 Mainpro+ credits

Tuition $1,195 CDN (tax-free)

Register now & save $300

• $1,195.00 tuition until October 11, 2019
• $1,495.00 tuition aboard ship on October 12, 2019

This CME respects your time. This workshop is certified at the highest level (three-credits-per-hour) by the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Our 3:1 CME saves you an incredible amount of time (and therefore money) over 1:1 CME. Just have a look at the five-year benefit calculations. 

Many physician leaders have been trained by CBT Canada over the past twenty years. Alumni include CFPC presidents (both national & provincial), department chairs, residency training program directors—and even a few doctors who are comfortable using drills & saws. For a compilation of testimonials, click here. 

The CME is the acclaimed "triple strength" CBT for Depression module (12.0 hours / 36.0 credits). General interest topics covered include procrastination, perfectionism, rumination, self-criticism, self-handicapping, letting go of the past, decision-making, and evidence-based marital enrichment (e.g., exploring the Mediterranean together!). Join us and you'll gain a plethora of ultra-brief techniques to help your patients defeat depression and be happy.  

Make fall 2019 something to look forward to! Join us for a "bucket list" trip in the magical Mediterranean. You’ll be enchanted as we explore four Spanish ports (Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Malaga), three Italian ports (Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples), two French ports (Marseille, Villefranche), and one UK port (Gibraltar). You'll return home with a bucket full of magical memories.

Vacation CME has many advantages over local CME. See what your colleagues are saying, and explore the case for it being four-credit-per-hour CME. 

No shirt, no shoes, no CME. However, what you do during non-CME hours is entirely up to you. The CMPA now refers to physician well-being as "the missing quality of care indicator", because it so powerfully predicts patient outcomes. Physician, recharge yourself! 

Earlybird savings

Preferred cabin rates... plus choice of
drinks package, free gratuities, or unlimited WiFi

The CME will be held only during our two "sea days" of Thursday, October 17 and Wednesday, October 23. The hours are from 9:00AM-12:00PM and from 1:00PM to 4:30PM, for a grand total of 12.0 hours and 36.0 Mainpro+ credits. 

Social gatherings include our Welcome Party on Day 3 (Monday, October 14) and our Farewell Party on Day 12 (Wednesday, October 23). Both social gatherings run from 5:00PM to 6:00PM. 

Day 1.  Everyone loves Barcelona! Sample tasty tapas and watch the gifted buskers of Las Ramblas. Visit the Columbus Monument and Maritime Museum. Tour Antoni Gaudi's architectural masterpieces, including Parc Güell, Casa Batlló, the newly-opened Casa Vicens, and the soaring Sagrada Familia. Marvel at the extraordinary creativity of Picasso. Watch Lionel Messi's wizardry at an FC Barcelona game.

Day 2.  The birthplace of paella, Valencia has steadily moved onto the radar of savvy travelers. Ancient meets modern in this vibrant city—founded by the Romans in 138BC. Gaze down on a stunning assemblage of Roman, Visigoth, and Arab ruins at the museum of L’Almoina. Visit the Valencia Cathedral—said to house the Holy Grail. Tour the family-friendly Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias (City of Arts & Sciences), featuring futuristic buildings designed by local architectural legend Santiago Calatrava. Marvel at the floats of Valencia's Falles "mega-festival"  museum. Swoon at the extraordinary devotional art of San Nicolas Church. Awaken your inner child at L'Iber, the world's largest toy soldier museum (count the 1,000,000 pieces). 

Day 3.  Boasting some of the finest beaches in all of Spain, Alicante is the largest city on the Costa Blanca. This picturesque Spanish town has thousands of years of rich maritime history. Relax on the pristine sand of La Playa de San Juan. Shop the wavy Explanada de España, paved with 6.5 million marble tiles. Stroll the narrow ancient streets of Old Town, including whimsical Mushroom Street. Learn about Alicante's extraordinary history at MARQ, a winner of the European Museum of the Year Award. Marvel at the courage (/folly?) of the sailors featured at the round-the-world yacht race museum. And for a jaw-dropping view of the harbour and the distant mountains, climb up to Santa Barbara Castle on the top of Alicante's Mount Benacantil. 

Day 4.  Tour the famous Rock of Gibraltar, located at the southernmost tip of Europe, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Its unique location has played a pivotal role in history as one of the world's most important military strongholds. You’ll feel on top of the world with the local Barbary macaques, with breathtaking views of the African coastline and Spain's famed Costa del Sol. 

Day 5.  Situated on Spain's exclusive Costa del Sol, Málaga was founded by the Phoenicians back in 770 BC. The two massive citadels looming over the city are remnants of 11th century Moorish rule: Gibralfaro Castle and the Alcazaba Palace.  

Malaga is artsy: Pablo Picasso was born there, and the Museo Picasso is full of works donated by his family. The collection of 19th century Spanish art at the Thyssen Museum serves as a wonderful cultural primer. The futuristic cube that is the Centre Pompidou has works by Frida Kahlo and Marc Chagall. And the local branch of the St. Petersburg State Russian Museum has paintings from some of the best-known Russian artists.

The famous Málaga dessert wines come to life in the hilly vineyards just outside town, and Granada, with its famed Alhambra Palace (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), is just an hour away in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. 

Thrill-seeker alert! El Caminito del Rey, "the scariest path in the world", is a daytrip from Malaga. The King's Little Path is 3km long, 100m high, and just 1m wide. It was built over 100 years ago to allow workers access to hydroelectric plants, and has since been massively refurbished (BBC short video).  

Day 7. Experience the spirit and charm of Marseille, the namesake of the French national anthem. Marseille is the oldest & second largest city in France, the capital of Provence, and one of the New York Times' Top 52 Places to Go in 2019. Explore picturesque Vieux-Port, where ships have docked for over 26 centuries. Discover Cours Julien, a massive pedestrian square lined with trendy cafés, bars, and restaurants. Tour Mucem, the award-winning Museum of European & Mediterranean Civilisations that opened in just 2013. Cross the iconic pedestrian walkway and explore towering Fort St-Jean, built in 1660. Tour seaside La Major, one of the largest cathedrals in Europe. Visit the hilltop icon of the Basilique Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, and enjoy spectacular views of the city and mysterious Chateau D'if. Window-shop along Marseille's historic high street of La Canebière. Enjoy a lunch of Marseille's renowned bouillabaisse.

If you're feeling adventurous, consider hiking or kayaking in the adjacent Parc National des Calanques. And if you're feeling artsy, tour the charming (/spicy) college town of Aix-en-Provence, made famous by Cezanne, Picasso and Van Gogh.

NOTE:  It's a misdemeanor (if not a high crime) to return home without the definitive souvenirs; i.e., a selection of Provence's renowned soaps. 

Day 8.  Villefranche, with its red mountains touching deep blue shores, is your gateway to the renowned French Riviera (Côte d'Azur). Towns like Antibes, Cannes, Cassis, Eze, Monaco, Nice, Saint-Tropez, and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat await you with their infectious joie de vivre. 

The adjacent town of Nice is best surveyed atop Castle Hill. The iconic Prom (La Promenade des Anglais) stretches below it for 7km along the seaside. The ancient winding alleyways of Vieux Nice will convince you beyond any doubt that you're in Europe. For some artsy elevation, consider museums like MAMAC and those devoted to Marc Chagall and Henri Matisse. And for a smashing overview of France's Belle Époque, spend some time at Le Mussée Masséna.

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is immediately south of Villefranche. Cap Ferrat is favored by royals, celebrities, and ophthalmologists (Sotheby's listings), and helicopter yachts are a common sight. The spectacular 6km hiking trail around Cap Ferrat takes two hours (assuming you don't take too many swims). Rothschild Gardens at the summit are impeccable and a true delight. 

Monaco is just 15km northeast of Villefranche. Although the Genoese Grimaldi family has run the place since 1297, they seem little worse for wear. The world's most famous Formula One track is hard to avoid, as it comprises much of the city's main streets. If you visit the famed Monte Carlo casino, your luck will improve if you walk in like you own the place. On they way out, consider investing your earnings in a little rental property at the new Odeon Tower.  

Day 9.  The port of Livorno is near Florence, birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Take in the wonder of The Duomo. Browse the high-end shops lining the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge). Be wowed by the masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery, one of the world's greatest art museums. Check out Pisa's famous leaning tower, just twenty minutes outside of Florence. 

Day 10.  Whether it's the Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon, St. Peter's Basilica or Sistine Chapel that sparks your interest and intellect, Rome is home to a lifetime's worth of historical, architectural and spiritual sites. Remember to toss a coin (with your right hand, over your left shoulder) in Trevi Fountain to ensure you return!

Day 11. You have 27 centuries of history to explore in Naples, a longstanding UNESCO World Heritage Site—and the birthplace of the romantic guitar, mandolin (and pizza). Hikeable Mount Vesuvius looms over the city, and Pompeii (update) & Herculaneum are absolute must-sees. The sublime Isle of Capri beckons in the bay, and the enchanting coastal towns of Amalfi, Sorrento, and Positano await you.

Day 13.  Finally, we return to the enchanting city of Barcelona. If you’ve already explored the Gothic Quarter, cabled to the top of Montjuic, suntanned it all at Marbella Beach, wandered around the National Art Museum, and sneaked a peak at the phallic Torre Agbar, then consider a daytrip to Montserrat. The Benedictine Abbey was built into the summit of 4,000ft cliff walls in 1025. If your timing is right, you might see a daredevil wingsuit through Roca Foradada ("Pierced Rock"). 

Traveling solo?  If the cruise line's "single supplement" is deterring you, Arlene may be able to help. Call (877) 466-8228 x 333 or email vacation@cbt.ca for details.