Lynda Marshall, another member of the group, said it was a nice way to end the school holidays.
"The kids get to go in the water and it's safe," she said. "The cruise ships are quite an attraction."
The free sausage sizzle and advertising was a great way to get people out and promote Tauranga as a great place to come, Mrs Marshall said.
"It's good for Tauranga. It makes people want to come back."
Other groups enjoyed fish and chips or queued up for a free sausage while children splashed about in the water and dug holes in the sand.
Mount Maunganui mainstreet manager Leanne Brown said the evening was all about getting locals to enjoy the ships.
"We want people to get down here and experience what it's like to see the ships going out."
Most people had seen the ships from the Harbour Bridge but few had seen them up close and could appreciate how monstrous the ships really were, she said.
She was hoping to see at least 1000 people enjoying the beach but the turn out far exceeded that.