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.
