I had an Alaskan cruise booked when Covid hit. (My first ever attempt at a cruise). It took me six months to get my money back, and I don't think I'll ever want to try it again. Shame. I love the sea.
I'm sorry you had that experience.
Allow me to regale you with my experience with Disney Cruise Line service...
Some years back now, my wife and I had booked a Disney cruise. We were flying from Boston to Orlando the same day the cruise left the port - get off the plane, get on a bus, get on the boat - Disney handles the luggage, even.
Three days before there was a major snowstorm in the Northeast. By the time we had to fly the airport was clear, but planes and people still weren't where they needed to be, so flights were running with major delays. We couldn't afford much of a delay or the boat wouldn't be there. There was also a mother and daughter on our flight, getting on the same boat.
We started to get nervous. But, we discovered that Disney had a weirdly specific phone dedicated to, "I am flying to Florida to get on a Disney cruise, and weather has delayed my flight." We called it, and informed them what ship we were supposed to get on, what flight we were on, and so forth. They asked us to keep them updated - while they could get our flight information, the systems often had a lag in reporting. (Or so they said - I am half of the opinion that the goal there was to allow the customer to feel like they are doing something, and have some control in a stress-laden situation.) We called them every half-hour or so.
We did finally take off, but very late - after when we nominally could have gotten on the boat. Disney told us to hold on but that, at worst, they'd arrange that we meet the boat at the first island stop, and we could spend the intervening day at the parks, if we wanted. But really, we should hold on, they would see what they could do.
And then we saw the Power of the Mouse.
This was after 9/11. People without tickets did not get beyond security to meet you at the gate. Except, Disney had someone. They whisked the four of us off to a bus (a big coach, the size of a Greyhound bus) that was waiting just for us. That took us to the terminal that was empty except for the staff needed to handle our paperwork, because everyone else was already on board...
...But they had held the entire ship for a half-hour, just for the four of us.
We also happened to get the last two all-week access passes to the adults-only spa area on that trip.
It was a really great vacation.
Three days before there was a major snowstorm in the Northeast. By the time we had to fly the airport was clear, but planes and people still weren't where they needed to be, so flights were running with major delays. We couldn't afford much of a delay or the boat wouldn't be there. There was also a mother and daughter on our flight, getting on the same boat.
We started to get nervous. But, we discovered that Disney had a weirdly specific phone dedicated to, "I am flying to Florida to get on a Disney cruise, and weather has delayed my flight." We called it, and informed them what ship we were supposed to get on, what flight we were on, and so forth. They asked us to keep them updated - while they could get our flight information, the systems often had a lag in reporting. (Or so they said - I am half of the opinion that the goal there was to allow the customer to feel like they are doing something, and have some control in a stress-laden situation.) We called them every half-hour or so.
We did finally take off, but very late - after when we nominally could have gotten on the boat. Disney told us to hold on but that, at worst, they'd arrange that we meet the boat at the first island stop, and we could spend the intervening day at the parks, if we wanted. But really, we should hold on, they would see what they could do.
And then we saw the Power of the Mouse.
This was after 9/11. People without tickets did not get beyond security to meet you at the gate. Except, Disney had someone. They whisked the four of us off to a bus (a big coach, the size of a Greyhound bus) that was waiting just for us. That took us to the terminal that was empty except for the staff needed to handle our paperwork, because everyone else was already on board...
...But they had held the entire ship for a half-hour, just for the four of us.
We also happened to get the last two all-week access passes to the adults-only spa area on that trip.
It was a really great vacation.