Love, Exciting and New

With Singapore's birth rate plummeting faster than its employment numbers, the city-state's government is trying to find new ways to get its citizens in the sack. But despite a state-sponsored speed-dating program, surveys show that Singaporeans still have less sex than almost anyone else in the world. The birth rate is languishing at 1.4 children per woman, well below the 2.1 required for a population to replace itself. That's where the Love Boat comes in. The brainchild of self-styled sex guru Dr. Wei Siang Yu, the "Love Boat" package offers couples a boat cruise and one night at an Indonesian holiday resort, along with a fertility education program and a sex counselor. "We are relieving the stress," says Dr. Wei. While bosses in high-pressured Singapore might encourage performance anxiety in the office, the Love Boat mellows the mood with "various sensual stimuli," including music, aromatherapy and aphrodisiacal meals. Would-be parents can even time their visit to coincide with the woman's ovulation. It didn't set sail in time for Valentine's Day, but the Love Boat will make its first voyage in early March. Dr. Wei says several couples have already booked passageat a cost of $580 a night. Societal implications aside, you still have to pay to play.