10/15/2026
Our Story, Our Investment, and Our Belief in Jacksonville
Following the Jacksonville City Council’s 14–1 vote on October 13 to reject our proposed $70,000 economic development reimbursement grant, as reported by the Florida Times-Union, I want to explain why we pursued it, what Royal Princess contributes to Jacksonville, and why we believe businesses like ours deserve consideration in downtown economic development.
WHY WE SOUGHT SUPPORT
After forming Jax Yacht Charter, Inc. in October 2023, I became involved with the JAX Chamber of Commerce and attended Downtown Council meetings to learn more about downtown revitalization.
Last spring, facing the costs of our mandatory U.S. Coast Guard inspection and shipyard work, I approached the Downtown Investment Authority (DIA). The DIA provides economic development incentives to encourage investment and revitalize downtown. Its mission aligned with ours: bringing people downtown, attracting visitors, supporting local businesses, and creating activity along the waterfront.
However, Royal Princess did not qualify for the programs available to us because of their traditional brick-and-mortar eligibility requirements. I then approached Ed Randolph and the City’s Office of Economic Development.
The proposed $70,000 grant would have reimbursed eligible expenses for our mandatory Coast Guard inspection and shipyard work. The proposed agreement included commitments to continue operating Jax Yacht Charter for at least two years and host a minimum of 24 public events annually, along with other economic development commitments.
The public benefit was more than helping a local business cover a required expense. It was an investment in keeping a unique downtown waterfront attraction operating. Royal Princess brings visitors to the riverfront, offers public cruises and community experiences, supports local hospitality businesses, and gives residents and visitors opportunities to enjoy the St. Johns River. The proposed agreement tied the reimbursement to continued business operations and public events. The Mayor’s Office and Parks Department supported the proposal, but City Council voted 14–1 against it.
Royal Princess is a 125-foot, approximately 220-ton steel vessel requiring specialized haul-out facilities. After receiving quotes nearly twice as high from Jacksonville-area shipyards, we took her to Thunderbolt Marine in Savannah. In August, a crew of four made the approximately 17-hour journey north so she could undergo required inspection and maintenance. These were necessary safety and compliance expenses, not optional upgrades. We documented the process on our YouTube channel, .
WHAT ROYAL PRINCESS BRINGS TO JACKSONVILLE
Royal Princess is a three-level luxury entertainment yacht certified by the U.S. Coast Guard to carry up to 180 passengers, plus crew. We host private charters, corporate events, weddings, fundraisers, brunch cruises, and public entertainment events.
Over the past year, we hosted approximately 70 public cruises and private charters. I have personally welcomed thousands of guests aboard, and one of the most rewarding parts of this journey has been seeing Jacksonville’s diverse community come together on the river.
People from all walks of life step aboard, share a meal, dance, laugh, and enjoy the experience together. Guests who arrive as strangers often leave as friends. Some have never been aboard a yacht before, while others have lived in Jacksonville for years but have never seen their city from the water.
There is something truly special about watching people dance, make memories, and become mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the St. Johns River as the sun sets over downtown Jacksonville. Sometimes guests step off the boat, hug us, and thank us for the experience. Those moments remind us that Royal Princess is about more than a cruise. It is about bringing people together and helping them see their city in a new way.
The demand for this weekend’s NAS Jacksonville Airshow Cruise has been so strong that we added a second cruise on Sunday, October 18, following our Saturday, October 17 cruise. Guests will have the opportunity to experience the Blue Angels from the St. Johns River—another example of how Royal Princess creates unique experiences that draw people to Jacksonville’s waterfront.
Royal Princess also supports local caterers, entertainers, event planners, captains, deckhands, bartenders, and other hospitality professionals. Corporate clients have chosen the yacht for events, and some have selected Jacksonville for conventions that included a private dinner cruise. Our business generates economic activity while showcasing the St. Johns River as one of Jacksonville’s greatest assets.
Please don’t just take my word for it. Read our 222 Google reviews. While a few guests have shared negative experiences, the overwhelming majority are five-star reviews. We take feedback seriously and continually work to improve.
Operating a vessel of this size requires substantial ongoing spending on insurance, payroll, dockage, maintenance, and inspections. Revenue is not profit, and keeping this business operating requires continuous investment.
A FAMILY'S INVESTMENT IN JACKSONVILLE
Our family has been in the yacht charter business for more than 25 years, beginning in New York Harbor. We have owned Royal Princess since 2007.
My husband, Captain Rob Bellanich, is a proud U.S. Navy veteran and maritime professional. In September 2020, after a 15-year battle with a rare autoimmune disease, he received a life-saving liver transplant at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. An anonymous donor from Jacksonville gave him a second chance at life. That experience inspired my book, Saved by a Stranger: Life-Changing Journeys of Transplant Patients.
When we regained possession of Royal Princess in October 2023, we faced a choice: scrap her or rebuild her. We chose Jacksonville. For two years, we invested our life savings and the proceeds from selling our New York home into restoring her at Reynolds Yacht Center in Green Cove Springs.
Rob redesigned the vessel for Jacksonville, including lowering the mast to pass beneath the Main Street Bridge without requiring it to open and incorporating accessibility features to welcome more guests. Our son, River, is working toward his captain’s license, and our daughter, Skye, has worked in the culinary field. This is a family commitment to Jacksonville.
LOOKING FORWARD
I did not lobby City Council members before the vote. My focus was on running our business and meeting our obligations. Looking back, I realize I could have done more to introduce myself to each council member and explain what we do. Many may not have fully understood that Royal Princess is more than a boat on the river: she is a locally owned business that attracts visitors, hosts events, supports other businesses, and activates our downtown waterfront.
We understand that public funds require careful consideration. But we hope Jacksonville will consider whether economic development programs can make room for businesses that advance downtown revitalization on the water as well as on land. If the goal is to attract visitors, encourage investment, and generate economic activity, waterfront businesses should have an opportunity to be considered based on their contribution—not simply whether they operate inside a traditional building.
Someone in Jacksonville saved my husband’s life, and we believe we are here to breathe new life into Jacksonville.
We are survivors, believers, fighters, and hard workers. This decision was disappointing, but it has not changed our commitment to this city.
We still believe in Jacksonville. We believe in our mission.
And we are not giving up!
Relax in Jax aboard the Royal Princess.
- Lezlee Peterzell-Bellanich
President, Jax Yacht Charter
A year after the Royal Princess began giving brunch and dinner cruises from downtown, City Council rejected a $70,000 grant to help its bottom line.
