Easy dance sequences
Press [Puase/Break] when your dance partner gives you a hand signal for you to move. Then, quickly resume the game and press the correct direction key.
Easy Specialists
Attacking and boarding a smuggler's vessel usually yields a specialist (for example, Carpenter, Sailmaker, etc.)
More Money when Dividing the Plunder
Sell everything you have except for the flagship you want to keep. This lowers your crew, which in turns raises your "share" of the Loot!
Achieve Rank of Duke With All Nations
Simply attack a town and defeat all of the enemy's soldiers, then place a governor in charge, visit him and you will be promoted. Then leave the town and immediately attack it again and install a different governor, this will have the effect of making that nation very happy and promoting you up a level. Simply repeat the process until you a a Duke with every nation. It also has the added bonus of increasing the amount of land that you own. Just make sure you have enough troops to begin with.
Easily Win a Fight
To win in a sword fight go for speed (Rapier and special swords). When your opponent goes for attack move press [4]. Your speed should beat your nearly all the time. Draw the remainder. Your opponent has no chance to counter.
Easy sea battles
When battling other ships, get in front of them. Have them chase you, and when your guns are fully loaded, turn, fire, and straighten again. Repeat this until you wish to board or their sail falls and they surrender. It is best done when you use grape shot or chain shot.
Double Shot
When choosing ammo type select the chain balls. Then, directly after firing, click round balls and you will fire both of these ammo types in the same shot.
Bailando (Dancin') Tips
When dancing there are some simple rules the game obeys unless you are playing on Swashbuckler. All moves come in either a series of two or four. Here are the patterns:
Fours:
[Right] [Left] [Right] [Left] [Right] [Left]
[Right] [Turn] [Right] [Right] [Turn] [Right] - repeat
[Forward] [Turn] [Left] [Forward] [Turn] [Left] - repeat
[Back] [Turn] [Right] [Back] [Turn] [Right] - repeat
Twos:
[Forward] [Back] [Left] [Left] [Back] [Forward] [Right] [Right]
[Forward] [Left] [Back] [Right] [Forward] [Left] [Back] [Right]
On Swashbuckler the dancing moves are completely random. Also, on Rogue, the song will repeat itself after one time through unless you completely max out the daughter's heart, any time that happens the next move is the last, you'll know because you will stop zooming in and the heart will beat extremely rapidly.