For the Embarkation and Disembarkation issue, I will share my experience on my cruise trip with Seven Seas Cruises, which I both embarked and disembarked on Marina Bay in Singapore.
Before boarding to the cruise ship, Seven Seas Voyager, one of the best cruise ship I have ever seen, you need to pass through the port authority security point first. At the Port Authority Security in the cruise terminal, passengers pass a security checkpoint where all carry-on luggage goes through X-rays and other baggage is checked in, all checked bags on cruise ships are also scanned. This is to ensure that all passengers will not bring forbidden or dangerous items to the cruise ship and the country they are going to travel. Besides, as we all know, you need to show your passport to the local custom officer in charge, to prove you are eligible for the travelling in law.
Once you have successfully checked in to the country, the cruise trip staffs to give you a cruise card. Cruise staffs may occasionally ask for cruise passengers to show their cruise card, also, when the passengers buy stuffs or request for other services on board, they also need to show their cruise card, therefore, you should keep your cruise card carefully. Besides, the cruise staffs will bring your belongings to the cabin you are going to live.
Another issue you may concern about boarding may probably be the boarding time before the departure of cruise ship. Cruise ships will usually begin boarding approximately 4 hours before the scheduled departure time. So it is better for you check the departure time carefully , and record it to the place where you can search it conveniently, such as your mobile phone calendar.
As to the issue of luggage handling, usually when you have checked in and entered the cruise, the porters on board will help you relocate your luggage to your cabin where you will live during the trip, which is an ease for the cruise passengers. Of course, you can keep your smaller personal belongings such as valuable handbags.
One more thing you definitely need to know is whether you enjoy the visa-free treatment with your passport to Singapore. More than half of the countries in the world enjoy free visa when travelling to Singapore, nevertheless, citizens of some countries/regions still need a visa to travel Singapore, such as China(PRC), Hong Kong , Russia and Pakistan. Therefore, if you are holding the passport of a country which does not have the visa-free priority to Singapore, then you should consult your cruise trip agent whether you need to apply for the visa. The following link, provided by Singapore government, lists the citizens of countries which need the travelling visa : https://www.mfa.gov.sg/Overseas-Mission/Washington/Visa-and-Entry-Requirements
Nevertheless, some cruise trip agents provide the service of handling visa documents to Singapore, so you should confirm whether your cruise trip agent provide such service, because if your agent does not provide such service, yet you forget your visa application or preparation, your agent has the right to refuse for refunding.
As to the safety issue of the cruise trip, every cruise line is required by the international law to provide safety drill within 24 hours after departure. First, all passengers will be asked to watch a video about the safety drill, including what equipments you will use when you encounter a sea accident, such as life jacket and glass-breaking axe ; and where to escape. After that, the cruise staffs will perform a live safety drill with all passengers on board , to ensure all passengers really understand what to do and where to escape when sea accident is encountered.
At the end of your trip, there are also some embarkation procedures you may need to notice. As to the paid items and extra services you have requested during the trip, the cruise agent will issue a payment summary to you , which list all the relevant information about your payment, usually the cruise agent prefer their customers to use credit card for payment, but you can still pay them cash, like US Dollars, or other currencies that the cruise agent accepts ; other online payments such as Paypal may also be accepted by some cruise lines.
Besides, you need to handle your luggage off the ship during the disembarkation process. Many passengers prefer to bring away their luggage by themselves directly, but for some cases, like those who are handicapped, or the luggage is really bulky, they can request for luggage handling service off the ship, usually it is free of charge. And finally, like the security procedures during the embarkation process, after leaving the ship, you need to show your passport to the local custom officers in charge , and allow your luggage to be checked , either by hands or by X-ray scanners.
Your First Cruise Trip 