John Mallinson Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 At last, a system that seems to be able to cope with the load. Straight in at 10 a.m. and the booking process was swift and trouble-free, except that there were no Stalls Circle standing for either triple bill. Are they all being held back for public booking or have the super-duper Friends gobbled them all up? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mallinson Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 Others have tweeted about the lack of SCS. (I got some for Swan Lake and Nut.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billboyd Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I clicked to add 1 SC standing to my basket and have spent 25 minutes watching a circle spinning round - it's still spinning. I'm going to log off and start again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I clicked to add 1 SC standing to my basket and have spent 25 minutes watching a circle spinning round - it's still spinning. I'm going to log off and start again. I had that problem. Try the "back" button and then check your basket. The seating plan had crashed but my tickets were still in the basket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCS Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I had the spinning circle too. I think it was because someone else was putting one of the two seats I had selected into their basket, because when I went back to the page it had gone. The next two I selected went into the basket without a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I went in at 10am and was finished by 10.09 - very fast and easy - but no rehearsal tickets at all for the date I tried. Did anyone get in before 10am and get tickets? I am always wary of this as I had problems in earlier on-line booking systems. Margaret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Good news first, anyone can book tickets for non-period 1 at the same time, no waiting room, straight in at 10am, and the system holds your previous payment details so that is quick. The bad news is that sometimes I got the seating plan up after clicking on and sometimes I didn't, had to try again, that happened many times, plus 1 performance was not amphi bookable so I had to rethink, ran out of time and had to make 2 separate bookings, whole think took 45 minutes. It would have been okay without that time limit, when I went back in lots of amphi seats gone, especially anything that included the name "Acosta", E-mail confirmation has not appeared but apparently it may take 24 hours! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaneL Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Extremely quick and easy and I managed to get SCS for 2 Swan Lakes, 1 Viscera triple and 1 MacMillan triple! This is probably the most successful booking day I've ever had! I'm very happy - well done ROH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Good news first, anyone can book tickets for non-period 1 at the same time, no waiting room, straight in at 10am, and the system holds your previous payment details so that is quick. Provided that it actually allows you to re-use said card: mine was rejected the other day, reason unknown. The rest sounds promising. I'm off to have a look around the non-P1 offerings, if I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billboyd Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I had that problem. Try the "back" button and then check your basket. The seating plan had crashed but my tickets were still in the basket. Thanks for the advice which I'll rememember in future. This time I logged off and on again. Once I got rid of the spinning circle it all went very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTL Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I'm looking at June/July performances on the ROH booking site and find it much easier to get the seating views up using Safari rather than Opera (my favourite browser) or Firefox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jastin Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Margaret I am a Supporting Friend member but could not purchase Rehearsal tickets in April. I was told by Box Office that tickets were gone by higher category members and they are planning another rehearsal additionally. So let's hope we will be able to get it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneMarriott Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 My shopping basket indicated 0 purchases during the entire booking session. When I clicked on it my selected tickets were actually there but I got the turning circle experience and was afraid of running out of time. In the ensuing panic I managed to buy three superfluous tickets for the same cast in Swan Lake, all SCS, so humble apologies to anyone I may have deprived - keep an eye on the ticket trade forum nearer the time. Otherwise it was refreshing not to have to queue for ages only to find no SCS left - although Viscera and Concerto mixed bills were distinctly lacking online. Some luck on the telephone but after eventually getting through to be regaled with the message "you are no. 39 in the queue" was a little dispiriting. - and like the old online waiting room it did seem to take for ever ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Some luck on the telephone but after eventually getting through to be regaled with the message "you are no. 39 in the queue" was a little dispiriting. - and like the old online waiting room it did seem to take for ever ... But at least you get some nice music to listen to as you wait... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Arrowsmith Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Not being a Friend I haven't been trying to book for period one, but what progress to be able to get in to the ROH site and check whatever else I needed, even on opera booking day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mallinson Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 Just tried it. No problem. Doesn't seem slower than usual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneMarriott Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 But at least you get some nice music to listen to as you wait... Yes - I think it was the entire ballet and opera rep ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaneL Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 (edited) The only bad thing about the new website is that it's now far too easy for me to spend way too much money on ballet tickets! Edited June 13, 2012 by JaneL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Jastin Many thanks for the information about rehearsal tickets (though I still think of them as masterclasses). Will keep an eye on the site for any extras that come up Margaret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Reynolds Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 As I understand it, Friends Priority Rehearsals booking was in April for Premium 1 and 2 Friends only. Rehearsals booking for all other Friends ( Supporting, Senior, Joint and 'ordinary' Friends) starts next Wednesday June 20th at 10.00am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 As I understand it, Friends Priority Rehearsals booking was in April for Premium 1 and 2 Friends only. Rehearsals booking for all other Friends ( Supporting, Senior, Joint and 'ordinary' Friends) starts next Wednesday June 20th at 10.00am. I think Margaret was talking about "In Rehearsal" rather than FGRs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Reynolds Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 "I think Margaret was talking about "In Rehearsal" rather than FGRs" Thanks bangorballetboy - now I understand. I've never even attempted to book one of the 'In Rehearsal' events, partly because they are evening ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane S Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 I'm amazed to find several Stalls Circle standing tickets still for sale, even for Swan Lake and Nutcracker! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Hi Norman, nice to see you posting on the BalletcoForum. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Reynolds Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Hi Norman, nice to see you posting on the BalletcoForum. Thanks Janet, it's much easier navigating if you're logged on. Hitherto I have been lurking, and reading the interesting reports of your ever ever more wide-ranging ballet trips. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneMarriott Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 My shopping basket indicated 0 purchases during the entire booking session. When I clicked on it my selected tickets were actually there but I got the turning circle experience and was afraid of running out of time. In the ensuing panic I managed to buy three superfluous tickets for the same cast in Swan Lake, all SCS, so humble apologies to anyone I may have deprived - keep an eye on the ticket trade forum nearer the time. Otherwise it was refreshing not to have to queue for ages only to find no SCS left - although Viscera and Concerto mixed bills were distinctly lacking online. Some luck on the telephone but after eventually getting through to be regaled with the message "you are no. 39 in the queue" was a little dispiriting. - and like the old online waiting room it did seem to take for ever ... As a late postscript: the box office have very kindly cancelled my superfluous tickets and arranged a refund. It's had two benefits - freeing up some SCS tickets for others and allowing me to grab a couple of additional ones which I couldn't before because I had reached my maximum allocation. Grateful thanks to the lovely box office who are always so helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Arrowsmith Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Amazed - at the start of public booking - in and out in three minutes and managed to snaffle a SCS for Robert le diable. Just hope now the production includes the ballet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mallinson Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 Public booking for Period 1 today, oh joy, and the system is starting to creak. Quite a few errors but all could be overcome by reloading the page. However no Stalls Circle standing at all for any of the 15 or so ballet performances I looked at. Where have they all gone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Mixed feelings about this session .... Got on fine ... Booked everything I wanted but with - as John said - far too many errors appearing for anyone's comfort or good health - (I can imagine many would be scared off by this - but perhaps that is the ROH's motive). One curious thing - usually I receive the email in confirmation immediately after I make the booking. I have not received it as yet for this booking .... so printed out the on-screen notation which I don't usually do - saving trees and all that ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mallinson Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 However no Stalls Circle standing at all for any of the 15 or so ballet performances I looked at. Where have they all gone? Trying again, oddly enough there were some for Nutcracker. Not for anything else that I could see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 One curious thing - usually I receive the email in confirmation immediately after I make the booking. I have not received it as yet for this booking .... so printed out the on-screen notation which I don't usually do - saving trees and all that ... Just seen on the Royal Opera House website that it could take a couple of hours for the confirmation email to arrive: http://www.roh.org.u...new-roh-website I received mine at about half 10 so maybe you'll get yours soon? I was a bit worried at first though, as I'd got so many errors when I was trying to book that I thought that for some reason it hadn't gone through properly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneMarriott Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Trying again, oddly enough there were some for Nutcracker. Not for anything else that I could see. John, I'm sure they must release these gold-dust tickets in little batches over time. Once I had been relieved of some tickets I booked in error and could then book some extra Nutcrackers, I found SCS for several dates - and this two and a half weeks after Ordinary Friends advance booking. I think the secret is to keep looking in on the off-chance ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Hmm. I think I'd give the experience 6/10 so far. It started off badly, with me waiting half-an-hour for a supposedly "due" bus to get in here, and then in the end giving up and walking, which meant not being able to get online for the first 40 minutes of booking. Obviously not the ROH's fault, although I hope the local council will be demanding some form of compensation for the non-existent "roadworks" which are causing total chaos in my part of the world right now. Got straight on, but of course by then any insights/rehearsals (all being in the Clore ) had vanished. Got a number of error messages, but only filled one in, deciding this was a mug's game and I didn't have the time to waste. The most disconcerting thing was the refusal of my Shopping Basket to show what I'd put in it: the first time after I'd put something in it, it came straight up with "your basket is empty" or something. Then, several times after I'd added other tickets to it, they didn't show up, sometimes even after I'd refreshed several times. Really disconcerting: you know they've gone somewhere, because they've vanished from the plan, but they don't show up! Plus I got several "submission errors": all this must be very offputting to people who aren't overly familiary with the ROH website. Something that does really need attention is that the countdown on the Shopping Basket page doesn't always update, so you could accidentally find yourself timed out. A few more layout points: it would be useful to have a "Continue Shopping" link from the Shopping Basket somewhere where it isn't necessary to scroll down to it. And there still doesn't appear to be a direct link back to, say, the Calendar from any individual performance page. I'm still finding it a little disconcerting not to have to put all my credit card details in - I certainly hope their system is totally hacker-proof! And I don't find it really very clear when you've finished the transaction: the current page layout rather suggests that you haven't, with its "Continue" link at the bottom. On the plus side: it actually seems to have coped with first-day public booking thus far: I didn't get any particular feeling that there were tens of thousands of other people trying to book along with me. I haven't had to set up 2 browsers as a backup, or even set up another session on my laptop, which is great, as it should mean I can do these things from home in future. I suppose the disadvantage of having a free-for-all will be that tickets will disappear more quickly, but we shall see. I'm generally fairly impressed, although clearly there are still some issues to be worked through. And they still need to distinguish their colour-coding better! BTW, I see a lot of people are throwing caution to the wind with the low prices for the Infra bill: the Grand Tier is already sold out for opening night! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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