A couple from New York decided to move their family and luxury yacht charter business to Jacksonville after receiving life-changing medical treatment at a local hospital.
The Royal Princess, owned by Jax Yacht Charter, is the latest addition to the Southbank shoreline near the Chart House restaurant. It is a tri-level, 125-foot luxury yacht that will be offering brunch and dinner cruises and is also available for special event cruises for up to 180 people.
While Jacksonville has a history with charter cruises downtown, including Annabelle Lee, Foxy Lady, Jacksonville Princess, and Lady St. Johns, the Royal Princess is one of the largest to dock downtown in recent history. The first two floors are enclosed, allowing for enjoyable cruising throughout the year. The first floor is suitable for dining, and the second floor features a dance floor and lounge area. The rooftop deck provides unobstructed views, lounge area and a second bar for guests to enjoy while the boat motors along the St. Johns River.
“You can’t have an active waterfront without an active waterway,” said Lezlee Bellanich, “She-EO” of Jax Yacht Charter. “What do New York, Chicago, Newport, Rhode Island and Miami have in common? They all have active waterways.”
Jax Yacht Charter plans to partner with area businesses to cater their regular cruises and special events. The company has enlisted the help of The Local restaurant to provide the menu for brunch and dinner cruises.
A Family Affair
The entire Bellanich family is part of the Jax Yacht Charter business with Capt. Rob responsible for the marine aspects of the business and Lezlee in charge of management and marketing. Their children, River and Skye, are also part of the staff.
The journey to the dock in downtown Jacksonville has not been easy for the Bellanich family. Capt. Rob Bellanich recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of his liver transplant surgery at Mayo Clinic. Before the surgery, Bellanich had been suffering from an autoimmune disease that had slowly decreased his liver’s ability to function. During this time, he was living in New York, where he began his charter boat business in 1998. The family consulted with doctors to figure out the best plan for his care, and they were told he would have a better chance for a transplant in Florida than he would in New York due to the number of people on the waiting list.
“I have never taken a drink, smoked, or done drugs during my entire life, so this disease was a complete surprise,” said Bellanich, a U.S. Navy veteran. “I wanted the best care, and we found the best hospital – Mayo Clinic – in Jacksonville.”
The family also discovered that, to be admitted to the Mayo Clinic, they needed to live nearby to be able to respond quickly in the event of a donor match. They found a place in St. Augustine and temporarily relocated. Bellanich is grateful for the anonymous donor who saved his life in the fall of 2020 by making the transplant possible.
After Bellanich recovered from the surgery, he and Lezlee inquired about bringing the Royal Princess to Downtown Jacksonville, seeing that there wasn’t a charter cruise ship operating in the area. They submitted a proposal to the City of Jacksonville and were selected for the contract out of a field of four applicants.
Prior to winning the contract, Bellanich renovated the Royal Princess to make it more suitable for its new environment. The interior was improved by replacing the carpeted floors with laminate flooring to provide a brighter atmosphere inside. The boat also lost some weight when the marble and granite countertops were removed from the bathrooms and replaced with lighter-weight material. Bellanich made other improvements to address accessibility needs with the addition of an accessible bathroom on the first floor and expanded the area of the rear deck on the first floor to make it easier to move around with wheelchairs or scooters.
“There are some older folks in Florida, and I thought (an accessible bathroom) was an improvement that should be made. We had requests for them before in New York, but we couldn’t make the change at the time,” said Bellanich. “It was the perfect time to make this boat better for Jacksonville.”
The Royal Princess will be offering brunch and dinner cruises this fall and will be available for special events. The cruise schedule can be found on: jaxyacht.com.
