The tutorial's voices: Captain Mo B. Dick, a big white-bearded captain in his dress whites, does the welcome and the birds (birds following ships and their boosts; the sounds and the sound tracker); Sailor Sonny, strong, sharp and able, does shipping (getting around, routes, the first ship, trading, growing the fleet, hubs); HQ Marissa, slim, tanned and Italian with long brown hair, green eyes and a lovely smile, does the money and the achievements (fuel and wear, prices, company levels, the first payday, the first achievement star); Deckhand Joe does sailing and the odd things about ships (upgrades, breakdowns, storms, seasons, icebreakers, lost ships, and whether to shoo a flock that has settled on a ship: don't). Each card shows the speaker's portrait and name over the tip. At least 25 s of play passes between one tip and the next, so they come at a digestible pace.
Chosen when founding the company ("Tutorial (recommended for new players)", on by default) and saved with it. A save started without it never shows the tutorial or its switch.
Tips on the basics come one at a time in a card in the bottom left of the main screens (top left over the Route Assignment map, which centers on the ship), under any popup. Each shows once its moment comes, the first not yet seen in order, and goes for good when the player clicks Got it or does what it asks:
Welcome (what the game is, the HQ ring, the Tutorial switch); Getting around (pan, zoom, clicking ports and ships, game speed).
Buy your first ship (Shop; done on buying one); Give it a route (Assign Route; done when a route is set); Planning a route (over the Route Assignment map: clicking ports, range, green and red legs, Accept).
Then: Trading runs itself (once a route is set); Fuel and wear (after the first sale: Refuel and Repair, ships held in port, the Ships tab's dot); Finding better trades (the Prices picker, Markets tab, port prices); Grow your fleet (the Shop's red dot, Finances).
When they happen: Company levels (level 2), Ship upgrades (a ship has an upgrade point), Hubs (a hub can be founded), Breakdowns (the breakdowns level), Storms (storms first act on ships), Seasonal closures (they first apply), Icebreakers (seasonal closures apply and icebreakers are unlocked), Lost at sea (a ship is lost: Send Recovery and the Rescue switch).
The map's Tutorial switch hides or shows the tips (saved with the game); turning it back on carries on where it left off.
Maritime Empire