How to Get Cheap and Reliable Phone Service Overseas as a CIVMAR with Airalo

As a CIVMAR, you’ll be traveling internationally and exploring foreign ports, which is likely a big reason you joined! To use your maps app to find a cool restaurant, post an Instagram picture, or video call your mom to tell her you’ve arrived safely, you’ll need phone connectivity. Unfortunately, your domestic phone plan won’t work outside the United States. Don’t worry, though—eSIMs by Airalo are cheap, fast, and easy solutions to your overseas connectivity problems.

All phones need a SIM card to access mobile data and cellular service. A SIM card is a small physical chip in your phone that identifies your phone to the network and allows you to make calls and access the internet. An eSIM is an embedded SIM card, meaning it’s built directly into your phone’s circuit board. Essentially, it’s a digital SIM card. Most new phones now come with eSIMs and no longer have removable physical SIM cards.

Before eSIMs, you needed to buy and insert a physical local SIM card into your phone to connect to local networks. If you are a seasoned CIVMAR or traveler, you have probably done this a time or two and know what a hassle it can be. Now, with Airalo, you can download an eSIM directly to your phone, making the process even easier.

You might be wondering, “What about an international plan through my phone carrier?” International phone plans, known as roaming plans, allow you to use foreign networks for a fee. However, these fees can get expensive. For example, Verizon’s international plan is $10 per day for 0.5 gigabytes of data. If you go over that, you’ll pay additional fees.

On the other hand, eSIMs by Airalo operate on a prepaid plan, offering more data at a lower cost with no surprise charges. Plus, if you use the code CIVMAR10 at checkout, you get an additional 10% off your purchase.

Say you’re assigned to a 7th Fleet (Asia/Far East) T-AKE, like the Washington Chambers, and are scheduled to meet the ship in Japan. Instead of paying $10 for 0.5 gigabytes of data valid for only one day with Verizon’s plan, you could purchase a Japan eSIM with 5 gigabytes of data, valid for 30 days, for $11.50. With code CIVMAR10, that eSIM would be $10.35. For an additional 35 cents, you get 4.5 more gigabytes valid for 29 more days!

If you’re on a 7th Fleet T-AKE, you’ll likely visit common ports in the Far East/Asia. If you don’t know the common ports, you can look at the “Ports” tab on CIVMAR.com for more information. For the entire 120+ day deployment, you could buy a regional eSIM like the AsiaLink package, covering all common 7 ^th Fleet MSC ports and save even more.

Airalo offers individual eSIMs for 200+ countries and regional plans for all commonly visited MSC Areas of Operation (AORs). Stop overpaying for overseas data and use eSIMs from Airalo!

To use eSIMs, your phone needs to be unlocked and eSIM compatible.

A “locked” phone is tied to a specific carrier and cannot use SIM cards from other carriers. If you’re unsure if your phone is unlocked, call your carrier’s customer service. Mention your military orders (as a CIVMAR, you have them), and most carriers will unlock your phone for free.

Most new phones are eSIM compatible. Any iPhone newer than the iPhone SE (2020) will work. For a more expansive list, check the link below.

Click Here to Check eSIM Compatibility

As a CIVMAR, staying connected is essential for getting the most out of your experiences. Traditional roaming plans can be costly and impractical, but eSIMs by Airalo offer a simple, affordable solution to stay online. Avoid the hassle of finding local SIM vendors and sidestep exorbitant roaming fees with generous data plans tailored to your travel destinations. Purchase your eSIM from Airalo today and use code CIVMAR10 at checkout for an additional 10% off! Click the link to get started and transform your overseas phone experience.

Link for Airalo: airalo.pxf.io/Gm9okm