| name | audience-profiles |
| description | Deep audience personas for InTheWake — who reads this site, what they need, what they fear, what language they use. Feeds content creation, tool design, and port guide writing. |
| version | 1.0.0 |
Audience Profiles — Who Reads InTheWake
Write for real people, not demographics.
When to Fire
- On
/audience command
- When creating content for a specific audience segment
- When designing tools or features
- When writing grief/faith content
The Personas
1. The First-Timer
Who: Never cruised before. Overwhelmed by options. Found InTheWake through Google.
Needs: Simple answers, no jargon, clear recommendations, budget help
Fears: Making a bad choice, wasting money, seasickness, feeling trapped
Language: "Is it worth it?" "Which one should I pick?" "What do I actually need?"
Content that serves them: Ship quiz, cruise line quiz, budget calculator, "first cruise" pages
2. The Experienced Cruiser
Who: 5-20 cruises. Knows their preferences. Looking for new ports or ships.
Needs: Detailed port intel, honest ship comparisons, advanced planning tools
Fears: Stale content, promotional fluff, missing the hidden gem
Language: "What's changed since last year?" "Is the new ship worth it?" "What don't they tell you?"
Content that serves them: Port guides, ship profiles, drink calculator, port day planner
3. The Grieving Traveler
Who: Widowed, bereaved, or processing loss. Cruising because it was their thing, or because someone told them to try.
Needs: Permission to feel. Acknowledgment that the empty cabin is real. Practical help alongside emotional honesty.
Fears: Being alone in a crowd. Being pitied. Being told to "enjoy yourself."
Language: "My husband and I used to..." "This is my first trip alone" "I don't know if I can do this"
Content that serves them: Solo cruising content, logbook stories, articles about grief at sea
4. The Disabled Traveler
Who: Mobility limitations, chronic illness, invisible disability. Wants to cruise but needs to know what's possible.
Needs: Honest accessibility info, not corporate "we accommodate everyone" language. Specific: which cabins, which ports, which excursions.
Fears: Being stranded, being a burden, inaccessible ports with no warning
Language: "Can I do this?" "What's the reality?" "Will they actually help?"
Content that serves them: Accessibility pages, disability-at-sea content, stateroom check
5. The Solo Cruiser
Who: Traveling alone by choice or circumstance. Not lonely — independent.
Needs: Single supplement info, social opportunities, safety tips, dining alone advice
Fears: Paying double, eating alone awkwardly, being the odd one out
Language: "Solo-friendly" "Single supplement" "Will I meet people?"
Content that serves them: Solo section, ship profiles with solo cabin info
6. The Caregiver
Who: Cruising with elderly parents, special needs children, or medically fragile family.
Needs: Medical facility info, accessibility, quiet spaces, flexible dining
Fears: Medical emergency at sea, overwhelm, ruining the trip for others
Language: "What if something happens?" "Is there a doctor?" "Can they handle...?"
Content that serves them: Ship medical facilities, accessibility, port accessibility
Using Personas
When writing any content, ask: Which of these people is reading this right now?
- A port guide for Nassau serves The First-Timer AND The Experienced Cruiser
- A grief article serves The Grieving Traveler — don't dilute it with general travel tips
- The drink calculator serves everyone, but The First-Timer needs more explanation
- The disability page serves The Disabled Traveler — be specific, not reassuring
Integration
- Humanization (like-a-human) — voice adjusts based on which persona the content serves
- port-content-builder — persona context shapes section emphasis
- seasonal-content-planner — different personas have different seasonal needs
- church-advertising (via orchestra) — Romans' congregation is its own persona
Soli Deo Gloria — Every visitor is a real person with a real story.
