Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Provided In Connection With Outstanding Debt Of Subsidiaries (Condensed Consolidating Statement Of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Revenues
Net premiums earned	$ 351,402	$ 379,828	$ 705,008	$ 676,588
Net investment income	54,124	38,604	82,987	78,311
Net foreign exchange losses	(690)	(1,740)	(2,382)	(4,870)
Equity in earnings of other ventures	6,022	6,160	7,633	11,455
Other income (loss)	2,654	1,427	6,733	2,966
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments	69,772	(26,712)	131,425	15,037
Total revenues	483,284	397,567	931,404	779,487
Expenses
Net claims and claim expenses incurred	167,750	169,344	294,355	246,197
Acquisition expenses	69,005	61,666	134,597	105,067
Operational expenses	51,073	54,673	107,308	100,294
Corporate expenses	5,752	12,868	13,977	58,401
Interest expense	10,536	9,862	21,074	15,178
Total expenses	304,116	308,413	571,311	525,137
(Loss) income before equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries and taxes	179,168	89,154	360,093	254,350
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Income before taxes	179,168	89,154	360,093	254,350
Income tax (expense) benefit	(6,612)	1,842	(9,356)	49,746
Net income	172,556	90,996	350,737	304,096
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(30,635)	(12,167)	(75,226)	(51,829)
Net income attributable to RenaissanceRe	141,921	78,829	275,511	252,267
Dividends on preference shares	(5,596)	(5,596)	(11,191)	(11,191)
Net income available to RenaissanceRe common shareholders	136,325	73,233	264,320	241,076
Reportable Legal Entities | RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (Parent Guarantor)
Revenues
Net premiums earned	0	0	0	0
Net investment income	5,749	98	12,607	2,722
Net foreign exchange losses	(1)	12	(2)	2
Equity in earnings of other ventures	0	0	0	0
Other income (loss)	(791)	497	(791)	663
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments	799	(535)	5,287	(496)
Total revenues	5,756	72	17,101	2,891
Expenses
Net claims and claim expenses incurred	0	0	0	0
Acquisition expenses	0	0	0	0
Operational expenses	(1,104)	(368)	(1,805)	3,441
Corporate expenses	5,181	7,351	10,794	31,837
Interest expense	141	468	281	763
Total expenses	4,218	7,451	9,270	36,041
(Loss) income before equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries and taxes	1,538	(7,379)	7,831	(33,150)
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	141,677	84,472	265,215	285,417
Income before taxes	143,215	77,093	273,046	252,267
Income tax (expense) benefit	(1,294)	1,736	2,465	0
Net income	141,921	78,829	275,511	252,267
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to RenaissanceRe	141,921	78,829	275,511	252,267
Dividends on preference shares	(5,596)	(5,596)	(11,191)	(11,191)
Net income available to RenaissanceRe common shareholders	136,325	73,233	264,320	241,076
Reportable Legal Entities | RenRe North America Holdings Inc. (Subsidiary Issuer)
Revenues
Net premiums earned	0	0	0	0
Net investment income	445	300	954	631
Net foreign exchange losses	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of other ventures	0	0	0	0
Other income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments	1,139	609	2,254	1,015
Total revenues	1,584	909	3,208	1,646
Expenses
Net claims and claim expenses incurred	0	0	0	0
Acquisition expenses	0	0	0	0
Operational expenses	44	1,588	(97)	3,478
Corporate expenses	203	212	203	251
Interest expense	0	3,557	0	7,233
Total expenses	247	5,357	106	10,962
(Loss) income before equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries and taxes	1,337	(4,448)	3,102	(9,316)
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	1,666	2,132	1,533	5,548
Income before taxes	3,003	(2,316)	4,635	(3,768)
Income tax (expense) benefit	(906)	1,743	(1,467)	32,748
Net income	2,097	(573)	3,168	28,980
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to RenaissanceRe	2,097	(573)	3,168	28,980
Dividends on preference shares	0	0	0	0
Net income available to RenaissanceRe common shareholders	2,097	(573)	3,168	28,980
Reportable Legal Entities | Platinum Underwriters Finance, Inc. (Subsidiary Issuer)
Revenues
Net premiums earned	0	0	0	0
Net investment income	846	1,221	2,279	1,181
Net foreign exchange losses	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of other ventures	0	0	0	0
Other income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments	3,414	(1,389)	5,378	(1,388)
Total revenues	4,260	(168)	7,657	(207)
Expenses
Net claims and claim expenses incurred	0	0	0	0
Acquisition expenses	0	0	0	0
Operational expenses	64	0	116	1
Corporate expenses	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	1,477	1,477	2,953	1,969
Total expenses	1,541	1,477	3,069	1,970
(Loss) income before equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries and taxes	2,719	(1,645)	4,588	(2,177)
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	12,086	8,716	34,421	10,126
Income before taxes	14,805	7,071	39,009	7,949
Income tax (expense) benefit	(838)	(1,451)	(1,182)	(2,146)
Net income	13,967	5,620	37,827	5,803
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to RenaissanceRe	13,967	5,620	37,827	5,803
Dividends on preference shares	0	0	0	0
Net income available to RenaissanceRe common shareholders	13,967	5,620	37,827	5,803
Reportable Legal Entities | RenaissanceRe Finance, Inc. (Subsidiary Issuer)
Revenues
Net premiums earned	0	0	0	0
Net investment income	141	468	281	504
Net foreign exchange losses	0	0	0	0
Equity in 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	141	468	281	504
Expenses
Net claims and claim expenses incurred	0	0	0	0
Acquisition expenses	0	0	0	0
Operational expenses	4,573	0	11,582	0
Corporate expenses	7	84	7	84
Interest expense	6,544	2,784	13,087	3,006
Total expenses	11,124	2,868	24,676	3,090
(Loss) income before equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries and taxes	(10,983)	(2,400)	(24,395)	(2,586)
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	17,165	4,613	41,644	48,515
Income before taxes	6,182	2,213	17,249	45,929
Income tax (expense) benefit	2,792	888	5,671	953
Net income	8,974	3,101	22,920	46,882
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to RenaissanceRe	8,974	3,101	22,920	46,882
Dividends on preference shares	0	0	0	0
Net income available to RenaissanceRe common shareholders	8,974	3,101	22,920	46,882
Reportable Legal Entities | Other RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. Subsidiaries And Eliminations (Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries)
Revenues
Net premiums earned	351,402	379,828	705,008	676,588
Net investment income	52,826	37,342	78,632	75,072
Net foreign exchange losses	(689)	(1,752)	(2,380)	(4,872)
Equity in earnings of other ventures	6,022	6,160	7,633	11,455
Other income (loss)	3,445	1,428	7,524	2,966
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments	64,420	(25,397)	118,506	15,906
Total revenues	477,426	397,609	914,923	777,115
Expenses
Net claims and claim expenses incurred	167,750	169,344	294,355	246,197
Acquisition expenses	69,005	61,666	134,597	105,067
Operational expenses	50,352	53,460	105,448	93,380
Corporate expenses	361	5,221	2,973	26,229
Interest expense	2,515	2,044	5,034	2,711
Total expenses	289,983	291,735	542,407	473,584
(Loss) income before equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries and taxes	187,443	105,874	372,516	303,531
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Income before taxes	187,443	105,874	372,516	303,531
Income tax (expense) benefit	(6,366)	(1,074)	(14,843)	18,191
Net income	181,077	104,800	357,673	321,722
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(30,635)	(12,167)	(75,226)	(51,829)
Net income attributable to RenaissanceRe	150,442	92,633	282,447	269,893
Dividends on preference shares	0	0	0	0
Net income available to RenaissanceRe common shareholders	150,442	92,633	282,447	269,893
Consolidating Adjustments
Revenues
Net premiums earned	0	0	0	0
Net investment income	(5,883)	(825)	(11,766)	(1,799)
Net foreign exchange losses	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of other ventures	0	0	0	0
Other income (loss)	0	(498)	0	(663)
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	(5,883)	(1,323)	(11,766)	(2,462)
Expenses
Net claims and claim expenses incurred	0	0	0	0
Acquisition expenses	0	0	0	0
Operational expenses	(2,856)	(7)	(7,936)	(6)
Corporate expenses	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	(141)	(468)	(281)	(504)
Total expenses	(2,997)	(475)	(8,217)	(510)
(Loss) income before equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries and taxes	(2,886)	(848)	(3,549)	(1,952)
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	(172,594)	(99,933)	(342,813)	(349,606)
Income before taxes	(175,480)	(100,781)	(346,362)	(351,558)
Income tax (expense) benefit	0	0	0	0
Net income	(175,480)	(100,781)	(346,362)	(351,558)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to RenaissanceRe	(175,480)	(100,781)	(346,362)	(351,558)
Dividends on preference shares	0	0	0	0
Net income available to RenaissanceRe common shareholders	$ (175,480)	$ (100,781)	$ (346,362)	$ (351,558)