Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Provided In Connection With Outstanding Debt Of Subsidiaries (Condensed Consolidating Statement Of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Revenues
Net premiums earned	$ 346,521	$ 362,388	$ 1,051,529	$ 1,038,976
Net investment income	51,423	28,338	134,410	106,649
Net foreign exchange (losses) gains	(5,986)	616	(8,368)	(4,254)
Equity in (losses) earnings of other ventures	(11,630)	5,730	(3,997)	17,185
Other income (loss)	2,268	2,306	9,001	5,272
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments	59,870	(41,138)	191,295	(26,101)
Total revenues	442,466	358,240	1,373,870	1,137,727
Expenses
Net claims and claim expenses incurred	112,575	100,028	406,930	346,225
Acquisition expenses	80,580	78,126	215,177	183,193
Operational expenses	40,493	54,518	147,801	154,812
Corporate expenses	11,537	7,322	25,514	65,723
Interest expense	10,536	10,542	31,610	25,720
Total expenses	255,721	250,536	827,032	775,673
(Loss) income before equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries and taxes	186,745	107,704	546,838	362,054
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Income before taxes	186,745	107,704	546,838	362,054
Income tax benefit (expense)	1,316	4,573	(8,040)	54,319
Net income	188,061	112,277	538,798	416,373
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(35,641)	(31,153)	(110,867)	(82,982)
Net income attributable to RenaissanceRe	152,420	81,124	427,931	333,391
Dividends on preference shares	(5,595)	(5,595)	(16,786)	(16,786)
Net income available to RenaissanceRe common shareholders	146,825	75,529	411,145	316,605
Reportable Legal Entities | RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (Parent Guarantor)
Revenues
Net premiums earned	0	0	0	0
Net investment income	5,892	6,051	18,499	8,773
Net foreign exchange (losses) gains	0	(8)	(2)	(6)
Equity in (losses) earnings of other ventures	0	0	0	0
Other income (loss)	21	0	(770)	663
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments	(336)	(1,752)	4,951	(2,248)
Total revenues	5,577	4,291	22,678	7,182
Expenses
Net claims and claim expenses incurred	0	0	0	0
Acquisition expenses	0	0	0	0
Operational expenses	(1,233)	1,224	(3,038)	4,665
Corporate expenses	11,617	4,490	22,411	36,327
Interest expense	140	351	421	1,114
Total expenses	10,524	6,065	19,794	42,106
(Loss) income before equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries and taxes	(4,947)	(1,774)	2,884	(34,924)
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	158,862	82,898	424,077	368,315
Income before taxes	153,915	81,124	426,961	333,391
Income tax benefit (expense)	(1,495)	0	970	0
Net income	152,420	81,124	427,931	333,391
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to RenaissanceRe	152,420	81,124	427,931	333,391
Dividends on preference shares	(5,595)	(5,595)	(16,786)	(16,786)
Net income available to RenaissanceRe common shareholders	146,825	75,529	411,145	316,605
Reportable Legal Entities | RenRe North America Holdings Inc. (Subsidiary Issuer)
Revenues
Net premiums earned	0	0	0	0
Net investment income	441	319	1,395	950
Net foreign exchange (losses) gains	0	0	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings of other ventures	0	0	0	0
Other income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments	1,397	(3,094)	3,651	(2,079)
Total revenues	1,838	(2,775)	5,046	(1,129)
Expenses
Net claims and claim expenses incurred	0	0	0	0
Acquisition expenses	0	0	0	0
Operational expenses	36	227	(61)	3,705
Corporate expenses	0	11	203	262
Interest expense	0	0	0	7,233
Total expenses	36	238	142	11,200
(Loss) income before equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries and taxes	1,802	(3,013)	4,904	(12,329)
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	1,463	1,965	2,996	7,513
Income before taxes	3,265	(1,048)	7,900	(4,816)
Income tax benefit (expense)	(324)	1,264	(1,791)	34,012
Net income	2,941	216	6,109	29,196
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to RenaissanceRe	2,941	216	6,109	29,196
Dividends on preference shares	0	0	0	0
Net income available to RenaissanceRe common shareholders	2,941	216	6,109	29,196
Reportable Legal Entities | Platinum Underwriters Finance, Inc. (Subsidiary Issuer)
Revenues
Net premiums earned	0	0	0	0
Net investment income	795	1,428	3,074	2,609
Net foreign exchange (losses) gains	0	0	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings of other ventures	0	0	0	0
Other income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments	2,105	(19,046)	7,483	(20,434)
Total revenues	2,900	(17,618)	10,557	(17,825)
Expenses
Net claims and claim expenses incurred	0	0	0	0
Acquisition expenses	0	0	0	0
Operational expenses	60	2	176	3
Corporate expenses	0	3	0	3
Interest expense	1,476	1,476	4,429	3,445
Total expenses	1,536	1,481	4,605	3,451
(Loss) income before equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries and taxes	1,364	(19,099)	5,952	(21,276)
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	(2,694)	19,407	31,727	29,533
Income before taxes	(1,330)	308	37,679	8,257
Income tax benefit (expense)	(401)	10,136	(1,583)	7,990
Net income	(1,731)	10,444	36,096	16,247
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to RenaissanceRe	(1,731)	10,444	36,096	16,247
Dividends on preference shares	0	0	0	0
Net income available to RenaissanceRe common shareholders	(1,731)	10,444	36,096	16,247
Reportable Legal Entities | RenaissanceRe Finance, Inc. (Subsidiary Issuer)
Revenues
Net premiums earned	0	0	0	0
Net investment income	140	352	421	856
Net foreign exchange (losses) gains	0	0	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings of other ventures	0	0	0	0
Other income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	140	352	421	856
Expenses
Net claims and claim expenses incurred	0	0	0	0
Acquisition expenses	0	0	0	0
Operational expenses	5,021	1,253	16,603	1,253
Corporate expenses	0	(84)	7	0
Interest expense	6,545	6,629	19,632	9,635
Total expenses	11,566	7,798	36,242	10,888
(Loss) income before equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries and taxes	(11,426)	(7,446)	(35,821)	(10,032)
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	1,130	10,747	42,774	59,262
Income before taxes	(10,296)	3,301	6,953	49,230
Income tax benefit (expense)	2,785	2,558	8,456	3,511
Net income	(7,511)	5,859	15,409	52,741
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to RenaissanceRe	(7,511)	5,859	15,409	52,741
Dividends on preference shares	0	0	0	0
Net income available to RenaissanceRe common shareholders	(7,511)	5,859	15,409	52,741
Reportable Legal Entities | Other RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. Subsidiaries And Eliminations (Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries)
Revenues
Net premiums earned	346,521	362,388	1,051,529	1,038,976
Net investment income	50,406	26,283	129,038	101,355
Net foreign exchange (losses) gains	(5,986)	624	(8,366)	(4,248)
Equity in (losses) earnings of other ventures	(11,630)	5,730	(3,997)	17,185
Other income (loss)	2,247	2,306	9,771	5,272
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments	56,704	(17,246)	175,210	(1,340)
Total revenues	438,262	380,085	1,353,185	1,157,200
Expenses
Net claims and claim expenses incurred	112,575	100,028	406,930	346,225
Acquisition expenses	80,580	78,126	215,177	183,193
Operational expenses	40,018	51,812	145,466	145,192
Corporate expenses	(80)	2,902	2,893	29,131
Interest expense	2,515	2,438	7,549	5,149
Total expenses	235,608	235,306	778,015	708,890
(Loss) income before equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries and taxes	202,654	144,779	575,170	448,310
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Income before taxes	202,654	144,779	575,170	448,310
Income tax benefit (expense)	751	(9,385)	(14,092)	8,806
Net income	203,405	135,394	561,078	457,116
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(35,641)	(31,153)	(110,867)	(82,982)
Net income attributable to RenaissanceRe	167,764	104,241	450,211	374,134
Dividends on preference shares	0	0	0	0
Net income available to RenaissanceRe common shareholders	167,764	104,241	450,211	374,134
Consolidating Adjustments
Revenues
Net premiums earned	0	0	0	0
Net investment income	(6,251)	(6,095)	(18,017)	(7,894)
Net foreign exchange (losses) gains	0	0	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings of other ventures	0	0	0	0
Other income (loss)	0	0	0	(663)
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	(6,251)	(6,095)	(18,017)	(8,557)
Expenses
Net claims and claim expenses incurred	0	0	0	0
Acquisition expenses	0	0	0	0
Operational expenses	(3,409)	0	(11,345)	(6)
Corporate expenses	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	(140)	(352)	(421)	(856)
Total expenses	(3,549)	(352)	(11,766)	(862)
(Loss) income before equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries and taxes	(2,702)	(5,743)	(6,251)	(7,695)
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	(158,761)	(115,017)	(501,574)	(464,623)
Income before taxes	(161,463)	(120,760)	(507,825)	(472,318)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
Net income	(161,463)	(120,760)	(507,825)	(472,318)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to RenaissanceRe	(161,463)	(120,760)	(507,825)	(472,318)
Dividends on preference shares	0	0	0	0
Net income available to RenaissanceRe common shareholders	$ (161,463)	$ (120,760)	$ (507,825)	$ (472,318)